Atrial Fibrillation and Older Age Predict Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels Among Patients With Heart Failure.
Susan J Pressler, Miyeon Jung, Susan G Dorsey and 8 others
PMID 39007747WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation had lower serum BDNF levels over 8 months than those without AF.
Older age also predicted lower BDNF. These biomarker changes may signal cognitive risk, but the study did not test treatments or outcomes.
Key findings
01Patients with a history of atrial fibrillation had significantly lower serum BDNF levels at baseline, 10 weeks, 4 months, and 8 months compared to those without AF.
02History of atrial fibrillation and older age were significant predictors of lower serum BDNF levels across multiple timepoints, while gender and left ventricular ejection fraction were not.
03The regression models explained only 5% to 10% of the variance in serum BDNF levels, indicating that other factors not measured here are likely more influential.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective and used data from a trial designed for a different primary purpose. History of atrial fibrillation was determined from ICD-10 codes in electronic health records, not by active monitoring during the study, which may have missed cases or misclassified patients. Serum BDNF levels were missing for many patients at follow-up timepoints due to the pandemic, reducing the sample size over time. The regression models explained only 5% to 10% of the variance in BDNF levels, meaning most factors influencing BDNF were not captured by the variables studied. The study observed an association but did not establish causality; it is unclear if AF causes lower BDNF or if low BDNF is a marker of other underlying processes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret lower serum BDNF levels as a direct cause of cognitive decline or a definitive diagnostic marker for dementia in your patients. This study found an association between atrial fibrillation and BDNF levels, but it did not measure cognitive outcomes or prove that BDNF changes lead to clinical symptoms.