AIMS NT-proBNP levels are known to be elevated in systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Doppler indices of diastolic dysfunction (DD) have been shown to have prognostic value in patients with Chagas' cardiomyopathy (CC). However, the additional value of NT-proBNP levels in further stratifying these patients according to DD has not been established. This study analyzed the correlation of N-termina...

BACKGROUND Increased plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been identified as predictors of cardiac dysfunction and prognosis in congestive heart failure and ischemic heart disease. In severe sepsis patients, however, no information is available yet about the prognostic value of natriuretic peptides. Therefore, the aim of the present study wa...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this research was to describe N-terminal part of the pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels over time in non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS), to elucidate factors associated with changes of NT-proBNP levels, and to examine association with long-term mortality. BACKGROUND The NT-proBNP levels are associated with mortality. Long-term tempor...

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and amino-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) plasma levels are commonly high at the early phase of septic shock and have been suggested to be prognostic markers for this condition. It is uncertain, however, whether this increase reflects sepsis related cardiac dysfunction. In a recent issue of Critical Care, Mokart and coworkers showed the accuracy of NT-proBNP in pre...

The aim was to evaluate the usefulness of urinary N-terminal fragment of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurement for predicting the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in 160 asymptomatic patients with essential hypertension. The urinary NT-proBNP/creatinine ratio was higher in patients with LVH than in either those without LVH (P< .0001) or control subjects (P< .0001). Mu...

BACKGROUND Human pro-B-type natriuretic peptide is cleaved into the active B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the inactive fragment NT-proBNP. It is unclear if, similar to BNP, NT-proBNP can be used as a marker of impaired left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF). This study evaluated the analytical performance of both assays to detect LV systolic dysfunction. METHODS In 72 patients wit...

BACKGROUND In heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), feasible surrogate end points are needed for phase II trials. The aim was to assess whether a reduction in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is associated with improved mortality/morbidity in an unselected population of HFmrEF and HFpEF patients. METHODS AND RESUL...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the usefulness of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as a predictive marker for angiographically significant coronary artery disease (CAD) and CAD severity compared with other newer biochemical risk markers and classic risk factors in patients with clinically suspected CAD. DESIGN Cross-sectional evaluation of NT-proBNP in a large consecutive series ...

BACKGROUND The Zwolle Risk Score (ZRS) identifies primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) patients at low mortality risk, eligible for early discharge. Recently, this score was improved by adding baseline NT-proBNP. However, the optimal timepoint for NT-proBNP measurement is unknown. METHODS PPCI patients in the On-Time 2 study were candidates. The ZRS and NT-proBNP levels on admiss...

BACKGROUND Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with lower circulating levels of N-terminal-pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The Interaction between BMI and NT-proBNP with respect to clinical outcomes is not well characterized in patients with acute heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 686 patients from the biomarker substudy of the ASCEND-HF (Acute Study of Clinical...