If the patient has acute heart failure, the test is performed:
when hospitalising the patient;
before discharging the patient;
during every appointment with the cardiologist.
For patients with chronic heart failure, the frequency of ST2 testing should be decided on the basis of the patient’s health condition and risk group: it could be performed once a year, 3-4 times a month or during every appointment with the cardiologist. Assessment of this marker is useful for selecting patients who are at high risk of developing heart failure and for primary disease prevention. ST2, a marker of myocardial fibrosis, not only warns patients with heart failure about potential re-hospitalisation or death, but also augments the information provided by plasma natriuretic peptides. When we use a summary of different cardiac marker test results, we gain independent complementary data, which allows to improve the quality of patient treatment.