By combining symptom assessment (dyspnea and/or edema) and N-terminal-probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP ≥ 125 pg/ml as the cut-off) levels with HHE for any indexed abnormality in the dedicated semi-quantitative protocol, patients were categorized into heart failure (HF) Stages A, B, and C. The diagnostic accuracy and cost-effectiveness of several pre-specified screening strategies were compared. This evidence concerns the gene NPPB and heart failure.