C-Reactive Protein as a Prognostic Tool in Acute Heart Failure: Evidence from Low-Resource Settings

Acute heart failure (AHF) remains a leading cause of hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality worldwide, with an even greater burden in low- and middle-income countries. In Brazil, in-hospital mortality for AHF is approximately 12%, compared to 4% reported in high-income countries.^,

In this context, the prospective study by Ferigato et al., conducted at a public hospital in São Paulo, assessed the prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with AHF. This investigation is particularly relevant given the structural limitations of the Brazilian public healthcare system, where conventional biomarkers such as natriuretic peptides are often unavailable. Therefore, CRP—a low-cost and widely accessible inflammatory marker—emerges as a promising alternative for risk stratification during hospitalization.

[…]