For Patients

Talking to my doctor about Galectin-3

Galectin-3 testing is a new medical technology recently cleared, or approved, by the US Food and Drug Administration. The information provided here, along with information from your doctor and other sources, can help you be an informed participant in your health care.

Heart failure is a complex disease. It is also a condition that markedly differs from patient to patient, and for a patient it often changes over time. Heart failure is a serious condition, at least as serious as some common types of cancer, including breast or prostate cancer. The good news is that there are effective treatments.  Starting these and following your physician’s instructions can markedly reduce your risk of hospitalization and complications.

As for other serious conditions, it is important that heart failure is diagnosed early and treated properly. Medical societies have issued guidelines to help patients and physicians manage heart failure.

There are many important roles for the patient:

  • Understanding my disease and what I can do
  • Finding a physician that fits my needs and who I trust
  • Being compliant with medications and other recommendations

Galectin-3 is a new test that physicians can use in the evaluation of patients with chronic heart failure. Approximately 30% of typical mild to moderate heart failure patients will have elevated levels of galectin-3. Having higher levels of galetin-3 is associated with a more aggressive form of disease. There are certain things physicians could do differently if levels of galectin-3 are high. Below are some examples. These examples may not apply to you and only your doctor and you can determine what is relevant for you.

EXAMPLES:

  • Referral to Heart Failure Specialist. Many heart failure patients are managed by their primary care physician. This is a good choice for most patients. However those with a more aggressive form of the disease may benefit from referral to a heart failure specialist for evaluation or treatment. Your primary care physician can best determine if a visit to a heart failure specialist should be considered.
  • Intensity of Management. You and your physician need to make important decisions regarding your care. These range from simple decisions as to when to schedule the next visit to the use of advanced options, such as home monitoring. Knowing that your galectin-3 level is low or high maybe one of the factors your physician will consider when discussing these options with you.
  • Choice of Therapies. The galectin-3 blood test is new and we understand much of what causes galectin-3 to increase. We do not yet know which drugs work best in patients with high or low galectin-3 levels. However some physicians will take the galectin-3 level into consideration when making decisions as to when to start certain treatments

Heart failure is a complex disorder and only physicians can order the galectin-3 test. The test is not very expensive, costing about the same as other common blood tests. Many insurance companies will pay for the test and co-pays and deductibles will apply, as for any other covered service.

The American Heart Association offers additional information about heart failure on the website called HeartHub (www.hearthub.org)

You can download and print the attached patient information sheet to take to your physician.