Aims: Cystatin C, a novel marker of renal function, has been implicated as a prognostic marker in cardiovascular disease. We investigated the prognostic value of cystatin C in acute heart failure (AHF) in comparison to other markers of renal function and NT-proBNP.
Methods and results: Patients with cystatin C measurements (n = 480) from a prospective multicentre study on AHF were included. All-cause mortality at 12 months was 25.4%. Cystatin C, creatinine, age, gender, and systolic blood pressure on admission were identified as independent prognostic risk factors. Cystatin C above median (1.30 mg/L) was associated with the highest adjusted hazard ratio, 3.2 (95% CI 2.0-5.3), P < 0.0001. Mortality increased significantly with each tertile of cystatin C. Combining tertiles of NT-proBNP and cystatin C improved risk stratification further. Moreover, in patients with normal plasma creatinine, elevated cystatin C was associated with significantly higher mortality at 12 months: 40.4% vs. 12.6% in patients with both markers within normal range, P < 0.0001.
Conclusion: Cystatin C is a strong and independent predictor of outcome at 12 months in AHF. Furthermore, cystatin C identifies patients with poor prognosis despite normal plasma creatinine. Cystatin C seems to be a promising risk marker in patients hospitalized for AHF.