Does the BREATH2 score accurately screen for HFpEF in patients with shortness of breath in primary care?
The BREATH2 score provides a non-echocardiographic tool to screen for HFpEF in primary care, aiding in appropriate referral for further evaluation.
BACKGROUND: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains underdiagnosed in primary care settings, where echocardiography is not available. This study aimed to develop and validate a scoring system that does not include echocardiographic variables for HFpEF screening among patients with shortness of breath. METHODS: A total of 622 consecutive patients referred for exercise stress echocardiography were evaluated (283 HFpEF and 339 controls). Diagnosis of HFpEF was determined by the HFA-PEFF algorithm Steps 2-3. RESULTS: score classified each patient into different risk categories of having HFpEF, ranging from 4 % to 93 %. CONCLUSIONS: score can be an effective screening tool in primary care settings to help refer patients to a secondary hospital for further evaluation.
Saito et al. (Sat,) studied this question.