natriuretic-peptide--brain and Coronary-Disease

Galectin-3 is a lectin that binds beta-galactosides. It is involved in cardiac remodeling and fibrosis through the activation of macrophages and fibroblasts. ST2 is secreted by myocardial cells due to cardiac overload. These two biomarkers have been traditionally studied in the field of heart failure to guide medical therapy and detect the progression of the disease. Nevertheless, there are novel evidences that connect galectin-3 and ST2 with coronary heart disease and, specifically, with atrial fibrillation. The aim of this article is to concisely review the diagnostic and prognostic role of galectin-3 and ST2 in different cardiac diseases.

Topics: Atrial Fibrillation; Biomarkers; Blood Proteins; Coronary Disease; Disease Progression; Fibroblasts; Galectins; Heart; Heart Failure; Humans; Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; Macrophages; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Survival Analysis; Troponin

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic worsens, this global pandemic is impacting more than 200 countries/regions and more than 4,500,000 confirmed cases worldwide. COVID-19 is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which might attack not only the respiratory system, but also the other important organs, including the heart. It was reported that COVID-19 patients with a past history of cardiovascular diseases would have a higher mortality. Meanwhile, elevated troponin levels were frequently observed in COVID-19 cases. Besides the comprehensive treatments for COVID-19, as a cardiologist, we should also remain vigilant about the cardiac injuries, especially those with severe emergent cardiovascular symptoms.

Topics: Adult; Betacoronavirus; Biomarkers; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Coronavirus Infections; COVID-19; Humans; Interleukin-6; Male; Myocarditis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pandemics; Peptide Fragments; Pneumonia, Viral; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2; Treatment Outcome; Troponin I

The prognostic role of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the general population remains controversial. We conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the association between baseline NT-proBNP concentrations and cardiovascular or all-cause mortality in the general population. PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched from their inception to August 2016. Prospective observational studies that investigated the association between baseline NT-proBNP concentrations and cardiovascular or all-cause mortality in the general population were eligible. A summary of the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of mortality were calculated by the highest versus the lowest category of NT-proBNP concentrations. Eleven studies with a total of 25,715 individuals were included. Compared individuals in the highest with those in the lowest category of NT-proBNP, the pooled HR was 2.44 (95% CI 2.11-2.83) for all-cause mortality, 3.77 (95% CI 2.85-5.00) for cardiovascular mortality, and 2.35 (95% CI 1.45-3.82) for coronary heart disease mortality, respectively. Subgroup analyses indicated that the effects of NT-proBNP on the risk of cardiovascular mortality (RR 2.27) and all-cause mortality (RR 3.00) appeared to be slightly lower among men. Elevated NT-proBNP concentrations appeared to be independently associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the general population.

Topics: Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cause of Death; Coronary Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Population Surveillance; Proportional Hazards Models

Cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of mortality and morbidity in Brazil. Their primary and secondary preventions are a priority for the health system and require multiple approaches for increased effectiveness. Biomarkers are tools used to identify with greater accuracy high-risk individuals, establish a faster diagnosis, guide treatment, and determine prognosis. This review aims to highlight the importance of biomarkers in clinical cardiology practice and raise relevant points regarding their application and perspectives for the next few years. This document was divided into two parts. This second part addresses the application of biomarkers in coronary heart disease, valvular diseases, cardio-oncology, pulmonary embolism, and cardiorenal syndrome.

Topics: Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular; Heart Valve Diseases; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Pulmonary Embolism; Risk Factors; Troponin

Topics: Ankle Brachial Index; Anti-Obesity Agents; Arteriosclerosis; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Calcinosis; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Diagnostic Imaging; Dyslipidemias; Endarterectomy; Fibrinolytic Agents; Genetic Markers; Glycated Hemoglobin; Health Behavior; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Inflammation; Life Style; Lipids; Metabolic Syndrome; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Obesity; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Smoking Cessation; Stents; Stroke; Thrombosis; Troponin I

This is the second of two articles reviewing recent findings about the risk of coronary heart disease. This paper is concerned with novel molecular biomarkers, genetic markers of risk and the future of risk prediction.

Topics: 1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase; Apolipoprotein A-I; Apolipoproteins B; Apolipoproteins E; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Cystatin C; Fibrinogen; Homocysteine; Humans; Lipoproteins; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Uric Acid

Interactions of glucose metabolism and chronic heart failure have been confirmed by many epidemiologic studies. The association of HbA1c with an increasing risk of heart failure clearly underlines the connection between both diseases. Coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension and diabetic cardiomyopathy are long-term complications of diabetes mellitus, resulting in diabetic heart failure. Dysfunction of many regulation systems leads to specific diabetic cardiomyopathy, which has been firstly described by Rubler. A reduction in the cardiac expression of the Na-Ca exchanger pump and SERCA2a protein results in an imbalance in cardiac calcium handling. The overactive renin angiotensin aldosteron system (RAAS) also contributes to the impairment of myocardial function. Hyperlipidaemia, hpyerinsulinaemia and hyperglycaemia directly trigger diabetic cardiomyopathy. Generally chronic heart failure is a clinical diagnosis verified by blood tests like NT-proBNP and cardiac ultrasound. Recommendations on treatment of diabetic heart failure are based on subgroup analysis of the large heart failure trials.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Calcium; Cardiomyopathies; Coronary Disease; Cytokines; Diabetes Complications; Diabetic Neuropathies; Heart Failure; Homeostasis; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hyperlipidemias; Hypertension; Mitochondria, Heart; Myocardium; Myocytes, Cardiac; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Oxidative Stress

Loss of endothelial function (LEF) post-PCI may contribute to both acute and long-term complications. A protective effect of BNP on endothelium was suggested previously. Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, as well as plasma levels of endothelin, BNP, Pro BNP and corin were measured before and following routine PCI. 49 patients with normal baseline endothelial function were recruited. 30 patients developed LEF and were randomized to i.v. nesiritide (the commercially available recombinant form of human BNP) or saline infusion for 3 h. Patients who developed LEF post-PCI had reduced baseline plasma corin levels and their BNP/ProBNP ratio was reduced after the procedure. Nesiritide infusion significantly improved FMD both immediately (Nesiritide versus saline: 2.87+/-0.78% versus 0.51+/-0.25%, P=0.007) and 24 h after the treatment (2.52+/-0.69% versus 0.72+/-0.32%, P=0.025). The elevated plasma ET-1 was reduced by Nesiritide (0.38+/-0.11 fmol/ml 24 h post-PCI versus 0.16+/-0.02 fmol/ml 24 h post BNP, P=0.047), but remained unchanged in saline group (0.39+/-0.21 fmol/ml versus 0.42+/-0.23 fmol/ml, P=0.749). Systemic LEF post-PCI is a frequent event. It may be related to impaired cleavage of ProBNP to BNP. Short-term i.v. nesiritide improves systemic LEF post-PCI.

Topics: Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Brachial Artery; Coronary Disease; Endothelium, Vascular; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Vasodilation

In contrast to their established role in the evaluation of acute dyspnea in emergency department (ED) patients, applications of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) in patients outside of the ED are less well defined. A PubMed-based electronic and hand search for articles dealing with BNP and NT-proBNP in settings other than the ED was performed. We found that currently available evidence is sufficient to support the use of BNP and NT-proBNP in four cardiovascular settings outside of the ED: i) evaluation of patients with suspected heart failure (HF) referred from primary care, ii) risk stratification in patients with HF, iii) risk stratification in stable coronary artery disease, and iv) risk stratification in pulmonary artery hypertension. Recent studies indicate that BNP and NT-proBNP might also be helpful in guiding therapy in patients with chronic HF. Despite active research in many additional fields, the use of BNP/NT-proBNP in other settings is not yet based on solid evidence and, therefore, seems not to be useful.

Topics: Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Dyspnea; Emergency Service, Hospital; Heart Failure; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments

Biomarkers have gained increasing significance in clinical cardiology during the last two decades. Laboratory parameters play an important role as risk markers for coronary events in primary and secondary prevention, in the diagnosis of acute myocardial necrosis and heart failure as well as in the management of patients with heart valve diseases. The development of novel biochemical markers has also led to new insights in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndromes and heart failure. This review summarizes the state of the art of cardiac biomarkers suitable for routine use.

Topics: Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Heart Diseases; Heart Failure; Heart Valve Diseases; Homocysteine; Humans; Lipoprotein(a); Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Troponin

Brain natriuretic peptides (BNP and pro-BNP) represent useful biomarkers in heart failure diagnosis and risk stratification; more recently their clinical use has been applied to acute coronary syndrome with and without ST segment elevation. Few studies have demonstrated that hormone dosage can add clinical and prognostic information with respect to the traditional laboratory analysis (i.e. troponin, MB-creatine-kinase, C-reactive protein). Besides these traditional biomarkers, growing data indicate potential laboratory indexes that can predict endothelial dysfunction, vascular thrombosis and platelet aggregation. However, their prognostic value is currently unknown. We describe the most widely used laboratory tools in coronary artery disease with potential prognostic power that could provide incremental predictive information in clinical practice.

Topics: Acute Coronary Syndrome; Angina Pectoris; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Artery Disease; Coronary Disease; Electrocardiography; Humans; Metalloproteins; Natriuretic Agents; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Sensitivity and Specificity; Troponin

Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) represents the most common discharge diagnosis in patients over age 65, and has an exceptionally high mortality and read-mission risk. ADHF is characterized by abnormal hemodynamics, including increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and peripheral vasoconstriction, although cardiac index may be reduced, normal, or increased. Myocardial injury, which may be related to decreased coronary perfusion, activation of neurohormones, and/or renal dysfunction, may contribute to short-term and postdischarge cardiovascular events. Recent ADHF registries have provided valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes of these patients. Most patients with ADHF present with either normal systolic blood pressure or elevated blood pressures; hypotension is relatively uncommon. These patients have significant cardiovascular and noncardiovascular comorbidities that may contribute to the pathogenesis and/or adverse outcomes in ADHF. Therapies for ADHF have been targeted to improve symptoms and hemodynamics, as well as preserve or improve renal function, prevent myocardial damage, modulate neurohumoral and inflammatory activation, and manage other comorbidities that may cause and/or contribute to the progression of this syndrome. Concomitant therapies proven to provide long-term benefits in chronic heart failure are also essential. There remains an unmet need for therapeutic approaches for the early management of ADHF that may improve short- and long-term outcomes. Ongoing clinical trials are intended to provide data that will better define the benefits and risks of therapies for ADHF.

Topics: Acute Disease; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Hospital Mortality; Hospitalization; Humans; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Natriuretic Agents; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Renal Insufficiency; Risk Assessment

Natriuretic peptides (BNP and pro-BNP) represent useful biomarkers in heart failure diagnosis and risk stratification, more recently their clinical use has been applied in Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) with and without ST elevation. Few studies demonstrated that hormones dosage could add clinical and prognostic information respect to the traditional laboratory analysis (i.e. Troponin, MB-creatinkinase, C-reactive protein). In fact, natriuretic peptides appear able to predict left ventricular enlargement and dysfunction after coronary episode and high plasma levels seem related to future cardiac events and poor prognosis at early and late time. Therefore, data from both experimental and clinical studies suggest that BNP and pro-BNP levels may reflect the size and severity of the ischemic insult, even in the absence of myocardial necrosis. On the basis of these reports, we describe below the potential clinical application and prognostic information of natriuretic peptides in patients affected to non-ST elevation coronary disease. Some recent patents discuss the role of cardiac hormones, especially focus on natriuretic peptide for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome.

Topics: Acute Coronary Syndrome; Angina Pectoris; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis

A short cut review was carried out to establish whether brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) can be used as a marker for acute coronary syndromes. 685 citations were found, of which eight presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these best papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is that BNP shows promise as an early cardiac marker and may enhance prognostic stratification. NPV and PPV may be unacceptably low to enable use as a sole cardiac marker. Incorporation into a multimarker strategy and serial estimations may be necessary.

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Syndrome

We aimed to determine whether intensive statin therapy reduces hospitalization for heart failure (HF) in high-risk patients.. While the relationship between intensive statin therapy and ischemic events is well established, its relationship to the risk of HF after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is not well defined.. The Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Trial-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 22 (PROVE IT-TIMI 22) study randomized 4,162 patients, stabilized after ACS, to either intensive statin therapy (atorvastatin 80 mg) or moderate statin therapy (pravastatin 40 mg). Hospitalization for HF occurring more than 30 days after randomization was determined during a mean follow-up of 24 months. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were measured at baseline (median seven days after randomization).. Treatment with atorvastatin 80 mg significantly reduced the rate of hospitalization for HF (2.3% vs. 3.9%, [corrected] hazard ratio [HR] 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45 to 0.91, p = 0.012) [corrected] independently of a recurrent myocardial infarction or prior history of HF. The risk of HF increased steadily with increasing quartiles of BNP (HR 2.45, 95% CI 1.33 to 4.52, p = 0.004 [corrected] for the highest quartile compared with the lowest). Among patients with elevated levels of BNP (>80 pg/ml), treatment with atorvastatin significantly reduced the risk of HF compared with pravastatin (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.93, p = 0.028). [corrected]. A meta-analysis of four trials that included 27,546 patients demonstrates a 27% reduction in the odds of hospitalization for HF with intensive statin therapy.. Intensive statin therapy reduces the risk of hospitalization for HF after ACS with the most gain in patients with elevated levels of BNP.

Topics: Acute Disease; Atorvastatin; Cardiac Output, Low; Coronary Disease; Heptanoic Acids; Hospitalization; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pravastatin; Pyrroles; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Risk Assessment; Syndrome

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Agents; Clinical Trials as Topic; Coronary Disease; Defibrillators, Implantable; Diabetes Complications; Disease Progression; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Surveys; Heart Failure; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pacemaker, Artificial; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Prevalence; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke Volume; Systole; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left; Ventricular Remodeling

The discovery of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and n-terminal pro BNP (nt-proBNP) as markers for the diagnosis, severity and prognosis of patients with congestive heart failure has been called a true breakthrough for patients and physicians faced with this disorder. Moreover, the literature on their prognostic value in other clinical conditions like acute coronary syndromes, right-sided heart failure and even in the general population is rapidly growing. This review aims to sort out the current evidence on the clinical utility of the natriuretic peptides with a focus on their diagnostic and prognostic values. With respect to their diagnostic properties, the test is best used to rule out heart failure in patients with acute dyspnoe, because low levels of these neurohormones in this clinical context make the presence of heart failure very unlikely. In patients with elevated values of BNP or nt-proBNP, further cardiological assessment is necessary, as their plasma levels are affected not only by left ventricular function.

Topics: Biomarkers; Clinical Trials as Topic; Coronary Disease; Heart Diseases; Heart Failure; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Cardiac Catheterization; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Complications; Echocardiography; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain

The role of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the early treatment of patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTACS) has been evaluated in 6 large studies that include >12,000 patients.. These studies convincingly show that this marker of cardiac performance is associated strongly with death and the risk of future congestive heart failure and carry important prognostic information that is independent from previous known risk factors in NSTACS. As such, NT-proBNP can be added to existing risk stratification models and multimarker approaches. There is some data that indicate that this marker might also be helpful in guiding decisions about coronary revascularization in these patients, but further studies are needed.. Before routine use of NT-proBNP in NSTACS, the extra cost of adding this new marker to the current routine markers and its impact on selection of treatment should be considered.

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Natriuretic Peptides; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Survival Analysis

Chest pain is the most common clinical presentation of acute ischemic heart disease, but only one third of these patients are ultimately found to have an acute coronary syndrome. Initial assessment of the patient presenting with chest pain includes a careful history, physical examination, an initial electrocardiogram (ECG) and measurement of biochemical markers of myocardial injury. The natriuretic peptide system is activated in a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, including acute coronary syndromes and stable coronary disease. A strong relation between plasma levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) obtained in the subacute phase, and long-term, all-cause mortality, as well as the rate of re-admissions for heart failure after myocardial infarction, has been documented. Persistently elevated NT-proBNP levels during the first 72 hours following admission for an acute coronary syndrome have recently been associated with the presence of refractory ischemia and high risk of short-term recurrent ischemic events. Patients with signs of exercise-induced ischemia by dobutamine stress echocardiography have been reported to have higher baseline BNP values. Moreover, BNP and NT-proBNP levels are increased acutely in proportion to the magnitude of the inducible perfusion defect observed during stress testing, suggesting that BNP and NT-proBNP are markers of acute ischemia. Recently, a relationship between circulating levels of BNP and NT-proBNP and long-term all cause mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease has been documented.

Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Chest Pain; Coronary Disease; Electrocardiography; Humans; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Risk

The existing markers for myocardial necrosis, such as cardiac troponin, creatine kinase-MB, and myoglobin are thought to be released into blood following irreversible myocardial necrosis. Thus results of these tests are usually negative for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who present to the emergency department (ED) within the first 3 hours after the onset of chest pain. Given the need to make early therapeutic and triage decisions, biomarkers that can be used to diagnose and/or risk stratify ACS patients during their initial ED presentation will be important. Active research in this area has identified several classes of biomarkers that show promise for early detection of disease. These include tests for the presence of acute inflammation and infiltration (e.g., high sensitivity-C-reactive protein, myeloperoxidase), plaque instability (e.g., pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, placental growth factor), platelet activation (e.g., whole blood choline, platelet density, CD40 ligand), and myocardial ischemia (e.g., ischemia modified albumin, free fatty acids, serum choline, and B-type natriuretic peptide). Each of these tests has demonstrated some utility for early diagnosis. However, as most lack specificity for myocardial disease, routine use may require a multi-marker approach.

Topics: Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Humans; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peroxidase; Platelet Activation

The heart is not only a pump, but also it is an endocrine organ. Cardiac stretch and overload stimulate the secretion of natriuretic peptides, which have a variety of beneficial actions, such as vasodilation and natriuresis. Cardiac-derived natriuretic peptides, especially B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), have emerged as useful biomarkers for the diagnosis, and potentially the treatment, of heart failure patients. The inactive amino-terminal fragment of the BNP prohormone (NT-proBNP), which is more stable than mature BNP, has also been recognized as an aid in the diagnosis of left-ventricular systolic dysfunction. Furthermore, elevated NT-proBNP concentrations have been shown to be predictive of poor prognosis in a variety of cardiovascular diseases, suggesting that it could be useful for risk stratification of patients. This review summarizes current literature that has addressed the issue of NT-proBNP as a prognostic tool in heart failure, acute coronary syndromes and other conditions.

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Syndrome; Systole; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Natriuretic peptide type B (brain natriuretic peptide, BNP) is a neurohormone released by cardiac ventricles in response to volume and pressure load. Recent studies have demonstrated that BNP level measured in the plasma plays an important role in cardiovascular diseases especially in the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure and acute coronary syndrome. This article summarizes the physiology of the brain natriuretic peptide, diagnosis of heart failure and acute coronary syndrome and use of BNP in the treatment and determining the prognosis of cardiovascular diseases.

Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Albuminuria; Anemia; Calcium Metabolism Disorders; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Complications; Female; Humans; Hyperhomocysteinemia; Hyperlipidemias; Male; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Phosphorus Metabolism Disorders; Predictive Value of Tests; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Sex Distribution; Urotensins

Topics: Adrenomedullin; Animals; Antihypertensive Agents; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Humans; Hypertension; Liver Failure; Mice; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Oxidative Stress; Peptides; Rats

The natriuretic hormones are a family of vasoactive peptides that can be measured circulating in the blood. Because they serve as markers of hemodynamic stress, the major focus of the use of natriuretic peptide levels [predominantly B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal (NT)-pro-BNP] has been as an aid to the clinical diagnosis and management of congestive heart failure (CHF). Recently, however, the measurement of natriuretic peptides in the acute coronary syndromes (ACS) has been shown to provide information complementary to traditional biomarkers (of necrosis) such as cardiac troponins and creatine kinase (CK). Studies in several types of acute coronary syndromes [ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI) and unstable angina (UA)] have shown that elevated levels of natriuretic peptides are independently associated with adverse outcomes, particularly mortality. Additional information is obtained from the use natriuretic peptides in combination with other markers of risk including biomarkers of necrosis and inflammation. This review will summarize the scientific rationale and clinical evidence supporting measurement of natriuretic peptides for risk stratification in acute coronary syndromes. Future research is needed to identify therapies of particular benefit for patients with ACS and natriuretic peptide elevation.

Topics: Acute Disease; Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Humans; Inflammation; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Necrosis; Prognosis; Risk Assessment

A growing body of literature describes diagnostic and prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptides (BNP) in cardiac diseases since it was first described in 1988. As BNP is mainly secreted in the left ventricular (LV) myocardium, BNP was found to reflect LV function much better than any other neurohumoral factor. Thus, BNP is recommended as the first noninvasive blood test for determination of cardiac function by some authors. The introduction of fully automated, rapid bioassays for measurement of BNP and the aminoterminal part of its pro-hormone (NT-pro-BNP) made it possible to use the test even in emergency care settings. Here we review the literature with special focus on assessment of BNP and NT-pro-BNP in the following clinical settings: community screening for LV dysfunction, primary diagnosis of heart failure in general practice and emergency department (ED) and risk stratification in cardiac dysfunction and acute coronary syndromes. In addition, we discuss which applications can be recommended for daily clinical use from the cardiologist's point of view.

Topics: Coronary Disease; Genetic Markers; Heart Failure; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a neurohormone synthesized in the cardiac ventricles, is released as preproBNP and then enzymatically cleaved to the N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) and BNP upon ventricular myocyte stretch. Blood measurements of BNP and NT-proBNP have been used to identify patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Important considerations for these tests include their half-lives in plasma, dependence on renal function for clearance, and the interpretation of their units of measure. The BNP assay currently available in North American markets, approved for use as a diagnostic aid in CHF and a prognostic marker in acute coronary syndromes (ACS), has particular advantages because it is available at the point of care and has had considerable use in clinical studies. In general, a BNP level less than 100 pg/mL has strong negative predictive value for CHF. In addition, BNP levels can be used to gauge the effect of short-term treatment of acutely decompensated CHF. BNP has been shown to be a reliable and independent predictor of sudden cardiac death. In the absence of renal dysfunction, NT-proBNP has also been shown to be of diagnostic value in CHF, related to CHF severity, predictive of sudden death, and prognostic for death in ACS. This article reviews the literature concerning the use of these peptides in a variety of clinical scenarios.

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Syndrome

Management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is becoming more complex as the array of treatment options available to patients and physicians continues to expand. Cardiac biomarkers play an important role in risk stratification in ACS, and results of cardiac biomarker tests can be used to help guide choices between alternative therapies. In addition to biomarkers of myocyte necrosis, markers of neurohormonal activation, such as B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), provide important prognostic information in ACS. In the future, multimarker strategies that incorporate panels of cardiac biomarkers are likely to be used for risk stratification and for pathophysiology-guided treatment in patients with ACS.

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Creatine Kinase; Creatine Kinase, MB Form; Humans; Isoenzymes; Myocardium; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Necrosis; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Syndrome; Troponin

An understanding of the dynamic relationship between the coronary artery and left ventricular (LV) function is important in diagnosing and treating acute coronary disease. Measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) provides rapid and accurate identification of patients with impaired LV function, which has proven valuable in differentiating between congestive heart failure (CHF) and symptoms attributable to pulmonary etiologies. Coronary artery and ventricular pathophysiology both are characterized by injury, functional aberrations, and subsequent remodeling. Ischemia occurs in both and accounts for virtually all significant adverse outcomes. The difference in BNP elevations seen in acute ischemia compared with those observed in chronic CHF is striking: Although even small BNP elevations in acute coronary syndromes have powerful prognostic value, it is not likely that they can be effectively used as a diagnostic marker for ischemia.

Topics: Acute Disease; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Neurotransmitter Agents; Stroke Volume; Syndrome; United States; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left; Ventricular Function, Left

In the emergency setting, acute chest pain and shortness of breath represent common patient presentations. Cardiac biomarkers including myoglobin, creatine kinase (CK)-MB, troponin, and b-type natriuretic peptide provide diagnostic and prognostic information for patients with chest pain and shortness of breath. This article reviews the use of cardiac biomarkers in the emergency department to evaluate acute coronary syndrome and congestive heart failure.

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; Chest Pain; Coronary Disease; Creatine Kinase; Creatine Kinase, MB Form; Emergency Medical Services; Heart Failure; Humans; Isoenzymes; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Syndrome; Troponin; United States

Cardiac Ischemia is an important trigger for the release of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). BNP and N-terminal pro-BNP (N-proBNP) are emerging as important biomarkers for risk stratification in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Higher levels of BNP and pro-BNP are associated with a greater risk for death and heart failure, independent of traditional clinical variables and levels of other biomarkers such as troponins and C-reactive protein. The therapeutic implications of these findings are not yet known.

Topics: Acute Disease; Biological Assay; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Humans; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Risk Assessment

Circulating N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a marker for heart failure in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and associated with glycemic abnormalities. Studies on the association and diagnostic value of NT-proBNP in carotid plaques (CAP) in patients with CHD are limited.. The relationships between NT-proBNP and the risk of CAP in different glucose metabolic states, sexes, and age categories were also examined using 5,093 patients diagnosed with CHD. The NT-proBNP tertiles were used to divide patients into three groups in which the NT-proBNP levels, blood glucose levels, the occurrence of CAP, and the number and nature of CAP were measured using normoglycemic (NG), prediabetes (Pre-DM), and diabetes mellitus (DM) glucose metabolic statuses. Logistic regression analyses were used to compare the relationship between NT-proBNP and the risk of CAP occurrence and the number and nature of CAP. The diagnostic value of NT-proBNP for CAP risk was measured using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.. We found a 37% relative increase in the correlation between changes in NT-proBNP per standard deviation (SD) and the incidence of CAP. After adjusting for potential confounders, NT-proBNP at the T3 level was found to be associated with an increased CAP odds ratio (OR) when T1 was used as the reference. This relationship was also present in males, patients aged > 60 years, or both pre-DM and DM states. NT-proBNP was more likely to present as hypoechoic plaques at T1 and as mixed plaques at T3. We also measured the diagnostic accuracy of CAP for NT-proBNP in patients with CHD, with an AUC value of 0.627(95% CI 0.592-0.631), sensitivity of 50.7%, and specificity of 68.0%.. An increase in NT-proBNP was significantly associated with the risk of CAP in patients with CHD, especially in males and patients aged > 60 years, and exhibited specific characteristics under different glucose metabolism states. Trial registration The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Approval number TJUTCM-EC20210007) and certified by the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry on April 4, 2022 (Registration number ChiCTR2200058296) and March 25, 2022 by ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number NCT05309343).

Topics: Biomarkers; Carotid Stenosis; Coronary Disease; Female; Glucose; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Plaque, Atherosclerotic

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a group of disorders in which heart or kidney dysfunction worsens each other. This study aimed to explore the improvement effect of nicorandil on cardiorenal injury in patients with type I CRS. Patients with coronary heart disease complicated with type I CRS were enrolled. Based on the conventional treatment, the patients were prospectively randomized into a conventional treatment group and a nicorandil group, which was treated with 24 mg/d nicorandil intravenously for 1 week. Fasting peripheral venous blood serum and urine were collected before and at the end of treatment. An automatic biochemical analyzer and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect B-type brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), serum creatinine (Scr) and cystatin C (Cys-C), renal injury index-kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels. The left ventricular ejection fraction was measured by echocardiography. All measurements were not significantly different between the nicorandil and conventional treatment groups before treatment (all P > 0.05), and BNP, Scr, Cys-C, NGAL, KIM-1, and IL-18 were decreased in the 2 groups at the end of treatment (all P < 0.05). Compared with the conventional treatment group, BNP, Scr, Cys-C, NGAL, KIM-1, and IL-18 were more significantly decreased in the nicorandil group (all P < 0.05) and left ventricular ejection fraction was more significantly increased (P < 0.05). Therefore, nicorandil could significantly improve the cardiac and renal function of patients with type I CRS. This may prove to be a new therapeutic tool for improving the prognosis and rehabilitation of type I CRS.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; Cardio-Renal Syndrome; Cardiovascular Agents; China; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Cystatin C; Female; Functional Status; Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 1; Humans; Interleukin-18; Kidney; Lipocalin-2; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nicorandil; Prospective Studies; Recovery of Function; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Function, Left

The morbidity and mortality of acute myocardial infarction patients still remains high after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR) injury is one of the important reasons. Although the phenomenon of MIR injury can paradoxically reduce the beneficial effects of myocardial reperfusion, there currently remains no effective therapeutic agent for preventing MIR. Previous studies have shown that Yiqi Liangxue Shengji prescription (YLS) is effective in improving clinical symptoms and ameliorating the major adverse cardiovascular events of coronary heart disease patients undergoing PCI. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of YLS in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after PCI.. This study is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, single-central clinical trial. A total of 140 participants are randomly allocated to 2 groups: the intervention group and the placebo group. Based on routine medications, the intervention group will be treated with YLS and the placebo group will be treated with YLS placebo. All participants will receive a 8-week treatment and then be followed up for another 12 months. The primary outcome measures are N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and left ventricular ejection fraction. Secondary outcomes are plasma levels of microRNA-145, plasma cardiac enzyme, and Troponin I levels in blood samples, changes in ST-segment in ECG, Seattle Angina Questionnaire, the efficacy of angina symptoms, and occurrence of major adverse cardiac events. All the data will be recorded in case report forms and analyzed by SPSS V.17.0.. The trial will investigate whether the postoperative administration of YLS in patients with AMI after PCI will improve cardiac function. And it explores microRNAs (miRNA)-145 as detection of blood-based biomarkers for AMI by evaluating the relation between miRNAs in plasma and cardiac function.. Chinese Clinical Trials Registry identifier ChiCTR2000038816. Registered on October 10, 2020.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Coronary Disease; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Male; MicroRNAs; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Treatment Outcome; Troponin I; Ventricular Function, Left; Young Adult

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a clinical syndrome caused by coronary atherosclerosis (AS) or functional changes in coronary arteries. We have previously reported that astragaloside IV (in astragalus) and tanshinone IIA (in Salvia miltiorrhiza) improve myocardial ischemic injury.. This study will employ the randomized, blinded, prospective, single-center experiments approach. Briefly, a total of 160 eligible patients will be equally randomized into three treatment groups and placebo control groups. Patients will receive appropriate treatments every 24 h for seven days after enrollment and followed up for 28 days. The main evaluation indicators will be cell count, serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-18 (IL-18), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, oxidized low density lipoprotein (OX-LDL), angina grade, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) symptom changes scale. Secondary indicators to be evaluated will include B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, troponin (cTn), muscle enzyme isoenzyme (CK-MB), heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), liver and renal functions, as well as blood coagulation. Close monitoring of adverse events during the trial will also be conducted.. This randomized controlled trial of Chinese herbal extracts for the treatment of coronary heart disease will generate results that are expected to provide valuable clinical evidence to inform future development of therapies towards management of CHD.. China Clinical Trial Registration Center, ChiCTR1900021590. Registered on 28 February 2019.

Topics: Astragalus propinquus; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Cytokines; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Humans; Inflammation; Injections; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prospective Studies; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Salvia miltiorrhiza

To investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on perioperative cardiac adverse events in elderly patients with coronary heart disease.
 Methods: Sixty elderly patients, who were diagnosed as coronary heart disease and underwent gastric cancer operation, were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=30): the dexmedetomidine group (Dex group) and the control group. In the Dex group, dexmedetomidine was administered intravenously at 0.5 μg/(kg·h) after a bolus infusion at 0.5 μg/kg for 10 min before anesthesia induction. In the control group, equal volume of normal saline was infused instead of dexmedetomidine. The 2 groups received the same anesthesia treatment. The venous bloods were collected at the preoperative 0 h and postoperative 24 h. The concentrations of cardiac troponin (cTnI), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were determined. The ECG was monitored at the above time and the postoperative incidence of cardiac adverse events was recorded.
 Results: The levels of cTnI, NT-proBNP and hs-CRP in serum were elevated in the 2 groups after the operation. Compared with the control group, the levels of cTnI, NT-proBNP and hs-CRP were significantly decreased in the Dex group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the incidence of bradycardia were significantly increased, while the myocardial ischemia and tachycardia were significantly decreased in the Dex group during the operation (P<0.05); the incidence of silent myocardial ischemia and arrhythmia was significantly reduced at 3 days after operation in the Dex group (P<0.05).
 Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine could decrease the incidence of cardiac adverse events in elderly patients with coronary heart disease.. 目的：观察右美托咪定对冠心病患者围手术期心脏不良事件的影响。方法：择期行开腹胃癌切除术的老年冠心病患者60例，采用随机数字表法将其分为右美托咪定组(Dex组)与对照组(Control组)，每组30例。两组患者麻醉管理一致，其中Dex组诱导麻醉前10 min静脉微量泵入右美托咪定0.5 μg/kg，10 min后继续泵注维持量0.5 μg/(kg·h)至手术结束；Control组在同一时点采用等量的生理盐水静脉输注。分别于术前、术毕、术后24 h采集静脉血标本，测定肌钙蛋白I(cTnI)、N-末端脑利钠肽原(N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide，NT-proBNP)、超敏C反应蛋白(hypersensitive C-reactive protein，hs-CRP)的水平。记录术中、术后3 d心脏不良事件的发生情况。结果：两组患者术前血清cTnI，NT-proBNP，hs-CRP水平比较，差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)；术后24 h时血清cTnI，NT-proBNP，hs-CRP较术前都显著升高(P<0.05)，且Dex组在术后24 h时血清cTnI，NT-proBNP及hs-CRP水平明显低于Control组(P<0.05)。两组患者术中均未发生心肌梗死；与Control组比较，Dex组心动过缓发生率升高，心动过速和心肌缺血发生率降低(P<0.05)。Dex组术后无症状性心肌缺血和心律失常发生率与Control组相比明显降低(P<0.05)。结论：右美托咪定能够降低老年冠心病患者围手术期心脏不良事件的发生率。.

Topics: Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; Aged; Biomarkers; Bradycardia; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Dexmedetomidine; Humans; Incidence; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Postoperative Complications; Stomach Neoplasms; Tachycardia; Troponin I

Underlying mechanisms behind the hypothesized relationship between periodontal disease (PD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) have been insufficiently explored. We evaluated associations between self-reported tooth loss- a marker of PD- and prognostic biomarkers in 15,456 (97%) patients with stable CHD in the global STABILITY trial.. Baseline blood samples were obtained and patients reported their number of teeth according to the following tooth loss levels: "26-32 (All)" [lowest level], "20-25", "15-19", "1-14", and "No Teeth" [highest level]. Linear and Cox regression models assessed associations between tooth loss levels and biomarker levels, and the relationship between tooth loss levels and outcomes, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, the relative biomarker increase between the highest and the lowest tooth loss level was: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein 1.21 (95% confidence interval, 1.14-1.29), interleukin 6 1.14 (1.10-1.18), lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A. A graded and independent association between tooth loss and several prognostic biomarkers was observed, suggesting that tooth loss and its underlying mechanisms may be involved in multiple pathophysiological pathways also implicated in the development and prognosis of CHD. The association between tooth loss and cardiovascular death and stroke persisted despite comprehensive adjustment including prognostic biomarkers.. www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT00799903.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Risk Factors; Self Report; Tooth Loss

Currently, there is no generally accepted model to predict outcomes in stable coronary heart disease (CHD).. This study evaluated and compared the prognostic value of biomarkers and clinical variables to develop a biomarker-based prediction model in patients with stable CHD.. In a prospective, randomized trial cohort of 13,164 patients with stable CHD, we analyzed several candidate biomarkers and clinical variables and used multivariable Cox regression to develop a clinical prediction model based on the most important markers. The primary outcome was cardiovascular (CV) death, but model performance was also explored for other key outcomes. It was internally bootstrap validated, and externally validated in 1,547 patients in another study.. During a median follow-up of 3.7 years, there were 591 cases of CV death. The 3 most important biomarkers were N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, where NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT had greater prognostic value than any other biomarker or clinical variable. The final prediction model included age (A), biomarkers (B) (NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and clinical variables (C) (smoking, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral arterial disease). This "ABC-CHD" model had high discriminatory ability for CV death (c-index 0.81 in derivation cohort, 0.78 in validation cohort), with adequate calibration in both cohorts.. This model provided a robust tool for the prediction of CV death in patients with stable CHD. As it is based on a small number of readily available biomarkers and clinical factors, it can be widely employed to complement clinical assessment and guide management based on CV risk. (The Stabilization of Atherosclerotic Plaque by Initiation of Darapladib Therapy Trial [STABILITY]; NCT00799903).

Topics: Aged; Benzaldehydes; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Global Health; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Oximes; Peptide Fragments; Phospholipase A2 Inhibitors; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Secondary Prevention; Survival Rate; Troponin T

It is skeptical about cardioprotective property of sevoflurane in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, especially in the elderly patients with coronary heart disease. We hypothesized that long duration of sevoflurane inhalation in noncardiac surgery could ameliorate myocardial damage in such patients.. This was a randomized, prospective study. One hundred twenty-one elderly patients with coronary heart disease were randomly allocated into two groups. Maintenance of anesthesia was achieved by sevoflurane inhalation (Group S) or propofol-remifentanil respectively (Group PR). Serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured before anesthesia induction (T0), 8 h (T1) and 24 h (T2) after anesthesia respectively. The perioperative cardiac output, complications and postoperative 3-month follow-up from end of surgery were recorded.. Between the two groups, there were no statistical differences in the values of cTnI and BNP during the study. However, The area under the curve of cTnI values over 24 h after operation was less in Group S. Group PR had lower cardiac output and consumed more amount of phenylephrine during the study (P < 0.05).. Compared with the group PR, sevoflurane had no benefit in the myocardial protection for the elderly patients with CHD. However, Sevoflurane showed advantage in maintaining hemodynamic stability during the operative period.. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IPR-16008871 , 21 July 2016.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anesthetics, Inhalation; Anesthetics, Intravenous; Cardiac Output; Cardiotonic Agents; Coronary Disease; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Male; Methyl Ethers; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Piperidines; Propofol; Prospective Studies; Remifentanil; Sevoflurane; Troponin I

To assess the effect of testosterone treatment on cardiac biomarkers in men with type 2 diabetes (T2D).. Randomized double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled trial.. Men aged 35-70 years with T2D and a total testosterone level ≤12·0 nmol/l (346 ng/dl) at high risk of cardiovascular events, median 10-year United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) coronary heart disease (CHD) risk 21% (IQR 16%, 27%). Eighty-eight participants were randomly assigned to 40 weeks of intramuscular testosterone undecanoate (n = 45) or matching placebo (n = 43).. N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT).. Testosterone treatment reduced NT-proBNP (mean adjusted difference (MAD) in change over 40 weeks across the testosterone and placebo groups, -17·9 ng/l [95% CI -32·4, -3·5], P = 0·047), but did not change hs-cTnT (MAD, 0·41 ng/l (95% CI -0·56, 1·39), P = 0·62). Six men, three in each group experienced an adverse cardiac event, displaying already higher baseline NT-proBNP (P < 0·01) and hs-cTnT levels (P = 0·01). At baseline, 10-year UKPDS CHD risk was associated positively with NT-proBNP (τ = 0·21, P = 0·004) and hs-cTnT (τ = 0·23, P = 0·003) and inversely with testosterone (total testosterone τ = -0·18, P = 0·02, calculated free testosterone τ = -0·19, P = 0·01), but there was no significant association between testosterone and cardiac biomarkers (P > 0·05).. In this trial of men with T2D and high cardiovascular risk, testosterone treatment reduced NT-proBNP and did not change hs-cTnT. Further studies should determine whether men with increased cardiac biomarkers prior to testosterone therapy are at higher risk of testosterone treatment-associated adverse cardiac events.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Double-Blind Method; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardium; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Peptide Fragments; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Testosterone; Time Factors; Troponin T; United Kingdom

We aimed to determine whether the levels of total serum IgM and IgG, together with specific antibodies against malondialdehyde-conjugated low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL), can improve cardiovascular risk discrimination.. The Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT) randomized 9098 patients in the UK and Ireland into the Blood Pressure-Lowering Arm. 485 patients that had cardiovascular (CV) events over 5.5years were age and sex matched with 1367 controls. Higher baseline total serum IgG, and to a lesser extent IgM, were associated with decreased risk of CV events (IgG odds ratio (OR) per one standard deviation (SD) 0.80 [95% confidence interval, CI 0.72,0.89], p<0.0001; IgM 0.83[0.75,0.93], p=0.001), and particularly events due to coronary heart disease (CHD) (IgG OR 0.66 (0.57,0.76); p<0.0001, IgM OR 0.81 (0.71,0.93); p=0.002). The association persisted after adjustment for a basic model with variables in the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) as well as following inclusion of C-reactive protein (CRP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NtProBNP). IgG and IgM antibodies against MDA-LDL were also associated with CV events but their significance was lost following adjustment for total serum IgG and IgM respectively. The area under the receiver operator curve for CV events was improved from the basic risk model when adding in total serum IgG, and there was improvement in continuous and categorical net reclassification (17.6% and 7.5% respectively) as well as in the integrated discrimination index.. High total serum IgG levels are an independent predictor of freedom from adverse cardiovascular events, particularly those attributed to CHD, in patients with hypertension.

Topics: Aged; Antihypertensive Agents; Area Under Curve; C-Reactive Protein; Case-Control Studies; Coronary Disease; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hypertension; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Lipoproteins, LDL; Logistic Models; Male; Malondialdehyde; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Odds Ratio; Peptide Fragments; Risk Factors; ROC Curve

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular prognosis in a community-based population. In addition, accumulation of individual cardiovascular risk factors is important in predicting an individual's risk of future cardiovascular disease. However, there have been few reports showing that BNP is a comprehensive marker of the accumulation of cardiovascular risk factors. We studied 1530 community-dwelling subjects without obvious heart diseases or renal dysfunction (mean age 62 ± 15 years; 569 men and 961 women) who participated in an annual health checkup in a rural Japanese community. Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk was estimated, and patients were placed into the following three groups based on the Framingham function: low risk, moderate risk and high risk. The prevalence of moderate- and high-risk subjects for CHD rose in both genders with increasing plasma BNP levels. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve showed a modest ability of plasma BNP levels to detect these subjects (0.755 and 0.700 for men and women, respectively). The optimal thresholds for the identification of subjects with moderate- and high-risk disease were BNP concentrations of 12.0 and 22.0 pg ml(-1), with sensitivities of 70% and 66% and specificities of 71% and 63% for men and women, respectively. In conclusion, subjects with high plasma BNP levels were at higher risk for CHD in a population without obvious heart disease or renal dysfunction.

Topics: Aged; Asian People; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Japan; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Rural Population

Cardiac troponin and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcome in primary prevention populations. Whether statin therapy modifies this association is poorly understood.. We measured high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hsTnI) in 12 956 and BNP in 11 076 participants without cardiovascular disease in the Justification for the Use of Statins in Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER) trial before randomization to rosuvastatin 20 mg/d or placebo. Nearly 92% of participants had detectable circulating hsTnI, and 2.9% of men and 4.1% of women had levels above proposed sex-specific reference limits of 36 and 15 ng/L, respectively. hsTnI concentrations in the highest tertile were associated with a first major cardiovascular event (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-3.06; P for trend <0.001). BNP levels in the highest tertile were also associated a first cardiovascular event (aHR, 1.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-2.68; P for trend <0.001). The risk of all-cause mortality was elevated for the highest versus the lowest tertiles of hsTnI (aHR, 2.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.81-3.78; P for trend <0.001) and BNP (aHR, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.04; P for trend 0.02). Rosuvastatin was equally effective in preventing a first cardiovascular event across categories of hsTnI (aHR range, 0.50-0.60) and BNP (aHR range, 0.42-0.67) with no statistically significant evidence of interaction (P for interaction=0.53 and 0.20, respectively).. In a contemporary primary prevention population, baseline cardiac troponin I and BNP were associated with the risk of vascular events and all-cause mortality. The benefits of rosuvastatin were substantial and consistent regardless of baseline hsTnI or BNP concentrations.. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00239681.

Topics: Aged; Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; Cholesterol, HDL; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Double-Blind Method; Female; Fluorobenzenes; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Hypertension; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Primary Prevention; Prospective Studies; Pyrimidines; Rosuvastatin Calcium; Stroke; Sulfonamides; Troponin T

Acute exacerbation is a common cause of hospitalization in patients with chronic heart failure, and coronary heart disease is the most common cause. Shenfu injection, a Traditional Chinese Medicine injection, widely used in the adjuvant treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure, shows some treatment effect in improving the symptoms and the quality of life, but it lacks the rigorous clinical evaluation of research reports. This paper describes the protocol for the clinical assessment of Shenfu injection loading in the treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure.. This protocol adopts the design of a prospective, randomized, multicenter, blind imitation, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of Shenfu injection loading in the treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure due to coronary heart disease. The research will be carried out in 12 hospitals in China and is expected to enroll 160 inpatients with acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure due to coronary heart disease (yang and qi deficiency syndrome). On the basis of the conventional therapy of western medicine, patients will be randomized to either the treatment group (100 ml 5% glucose injection + 50 ml Shenfu injection) or the control group (150 ml 5% glucose injection) for 7 ± 1 days and follow-up for 28 ± 3 days. The primary outcomes are New York Heart Association cardiac function classification and Traditional Chinese Medicine syndromes. The secondary outcomes are left ventricular ejection fraction, brain natriuretic peptide level, Lee's heart failure score, 6-minute walking distance, and the incidence and readmission rate of cardiovascular events (including the emergency rate due to acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure).. This trial will assess the effect of loading Shenfu injection in the treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure caused by coronary heart disease (yang-qi deficiency syndrome) on the symptoms and signs of heart failure, exercise tolerance, and other aspects, and observe its influence on the short-term prognosis with follow-up. The results of the study will provide clinical research evidence for application of Shenfu injection in the treatment.. This trial was registered on 26 December 2012 at the Chinese Clinical Trials Register (Identifier: ChiCTR-TRC-12002857 ).

Topics: Adult; Aged; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Agents; China; Chronic Disease; Clinical Protocols; Coronary Disease; Disease Progression; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Exercise Test; Exercise Tolerance; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Injections; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Patient Readmission; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies; Recovery of Function; Research Design; Stroke Volume; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Function, Left; Walking

This study sought to assess whether baseline and change in contemporary sensitive troponin I (TnI) levels predicts coronary heart disease (CHD) death and myocardial infarction (MI), and to determine the effects of pravastatin on TnI levels.. The role of troponins in predicting long-term outcomes in patients with stable CHD is not clearly defined.. The LIPID (Long-Term Intervention With Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease) study randomized patients with cholesterol levels of 155 to 271 mg/dl 3 to 36 months after MI or unstable angina to placebo or pravastatin 40 mg per day. TnI levels were measured at baseline and after 1 year in 7,863 patients. Median follow-up was 6 years. Change in TnI was defined as moving up or down 1 tertile or ≥50% change.. Baseline TnI tertiles were <0.006 ng/ml, 0.006 to <0.018 ng/ml, and ≥0.018 ng/ml. TnI levels were related to CHD death and MI after adjustment for 23 risk factors and treatment (≥0.018 ng/ml vs. <0.006 ng/ml hazard ratio [HR]: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.41 to 1.90; p < 0.001). TnI levels increased in 23.0%, were unchanged in 51.3%, and decreased in 25.7% of patients. Pravastatin decreased TnI levels by 0.003 ng/ml versus placebo (p = 0.002). In landmark analyses, increases in TnI levels were associated with increased numbers of CHD death and MI (HR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.62) and decreases with decreased risk (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.74 to 1.09; overall p = 0.01). Data were similar with 50% change criteria. Net reclassification improvement by adding TnI to the baseline model for CHD death and MI was 4.8% (p = 0.01).. Baseline TnI levels and change at 1 year are independent predictors of CHD death and MI. TnI levels are strong predictors of risk, and change modifies risk.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Failure; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pravastatin; Risk Assessment; Stroke; Troponin I

Biomarkers may contribute to risk stratification in coronary heart disease (CHD). We examined whether plasma midregional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) concentration at baseline and its change over one year predicts long-term outcomes in stable CHD patients.. The LIPID study randomised patients 3-36 months after an acute coronary syndrome with total cholesterol 4.0-7.0 mmol/L (155-271 mg/dL), to placebo or pravastatin 40 mg. Follow-up was 6.0 years. MR-proADM plasma concentrations at baseline and one year later were determined in 7863 and 6658 patients, respectively. These were categorised into quartiles to perform Cox regression analysis, adjusting for baseline parameters.. Baseline MR-proADM concentrations predicted major CHD events (non-fatal myocardial infarction or CHD death; hazard ratio (HR) 1.52, 1.26-1.84 for Q4-Q1), CHD death (HR 2.21, 1.67-2.92), heart failure (HR 2.30, 1.78-2.97) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.82, 1.49-2.23). Associations were still significant after adjustment for baseline B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration. Increase in MR-proADM after one year was associated with increased risk of subsequent CHD events (HR 1.34, 1.08-1.66), non-fatal myocardial infarction (HR 1.50, 1.12-2.03), heart failure (HR 1.78, 1.37-2.30) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.31, 1.04-1.64). Associations with heart failure and all-cause mortality remained significant after adjusting for baseline and change in BNP concentration. Change in MR-proADM moderately improved risk reclassification for major CHD events (net reclassification improvement (NRI) 3.48%) but strongly improved risk reclassification for heart failure (NRI 5.60%).. Baseline and change in MR-proADM concentrations over one year are associated with risk of major clinical events, even after adjustment for BNP concentrations.

Topics: Adrenomedullin; Adult; Aged; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Failure; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pravastatin; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Protein Precursors; Recurrence; Risk Assessment

To investigate the relationships between plasma leptin and adiponectin levels and recurrent cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke) in men with earlier acute coronary syndromes.. A nested case-control study examined circulating leptin and adiponectin levels in plasma obtained 4-6 years after entry into the Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease (LIPID) trial. Plasma was assayed from 184 men who suffered recurrent events within 4.4 years after blood collection and 184 matched controls who remained free of further events. The association between cardiovascular events and the explanatory variables was examined by conditional logistic regression analysis.. Relative risk (RR) increased across increasing leptin quartiles; the highest quartile compared with the lowest quartile was related to the highest risk (P for trend=0.002); the increased risk remained after adjustment for risk factors (P=0.018) or for obesity (P=0.038), but in the final model (adjusted for randomized treatment, other drugs, LIPID risk score, age and body mass index), the risk was attenuated (RR=1.61, 95% CI: 0.72-3.57, P for trend=0.34). Adiponectin did not predict cardiovascular events. Subjects randomly allocated to pravastatin had 6% lower leptin levels (P=0.04) than those allocated to placebo.. Plasma leptin was a significant and independent predictor of recurrent cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke) in men with earlier acute coronary syndromes.

Topics: Adiponectin; Aged; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Diseases; Case-Control Studies; Coronary Disease; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Leptin; Logistic Models; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Pravastatin; Recurrence; Risk; Stroke

The heart secretes natriuretic peptides (NPs) in response to myocardial stretch. Measuring NP concentrations is a helpful tool in guiding treatment. It has been suggested that sodium ion and hyperosmolality could affect NP excretion. If this is true, peri-operative NP measurements could be inconsistent when hypertonic solutions are used. With different osmolalities but equal volumes of hydroxyethyl starch (HES)--and hypertonic saline (HS)--infusions, this double-blinded study tested the hypothesis that osmolality modulates the excretion of NPs.. Fifty coronary surgery patients were randomized to receive within 30 min 4 ml/kg either HS or HES post-operatively. Samples for analysis of atrial NP (ANP), brain NP (BNP), plasma and urine sodium and osmolality and urine oxygen tension were obtained before and 60 min after starting the infusions and on the first post-operative morning. The haemodynamic parameters were measured at the same time points.. Plasma osmolality and sodium increased only in the HS group. Changes in plasma BNP and ANP levels did not differ between the groups (P=0.212 and 0.356). There were no correlations between NP levels and osmolality or sodium at any time point. In the HS group, urine volume was higher (3295 vs. 2644 ml; P<0.05) and the need for furosemide treatment was less (0.4 vs. 3.8 mg; P<0.01) than in the HES group.. The absence of effects of plasma sodium content or hyperosmolality on NP release validates the value of NPs as a biomarker in peri-operative patients.

Topics: Aged; Anesthesia; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cardiopulmonary Bypass; Coronary Disease; Data Collection; Double-Blind Method; Female; Hemodynamics; Humans; Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Natriuretic Peptides; Osmolar Concentration; Plasma Substitutes; Postoperative Period; Saline Solution, Hypertonic; Sodium; Treatment Outcome; Urodynamics

The emergency department (ED) evaluation of chest pain patients with potential acute coronary syndrome is limited by the initial sensitivity of cell injury markers. BNP is increased during myocardial ischemia and is associated with adverse outcomes. We determine whether the addition of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) to troponin I, creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and myoglobin increases the sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) for acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, and 30-day adverse events among chest pain patients with potential acute coronary syndrome.. A convenience sample of patients aged 30 years or older and presenting to an urban academic ED with nontraumatic chest pain, thus prompting an ECG, was enrolled, and consent was obtained. Blood samples were drawn at 0 and 90 minutes. Thirty-day follow-up was performed for all enrolled patients. Main outcomes were acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, and 30-day events (death, acute myocardial infarction, or revascularization). BNP cutoffs were derived from receiver operator characteristics curves. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and NPV with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with and without BNP. Differences in sensitivity and specificity with the addition of BNP were calculated with 95% CIs, and McNemar's test was performed to compare sensitivities and specificities.. Four hundred twenty-six patients were enrolled and analyzed. The cohort was 54.7+/-13.9 years old, 47.7% men, and 63.5% black. The outcomes were acute myocardial infarction, 39 (9.2%), acute coronary syndrome, 101 (23.7%), and 30-day adverse cardiovascular events 52 (12.2%). BNP cutoffs derived were 51, 31, and 31 pg/mL for acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, and 30-day events, respectively. The addition of BNP showed increased sensitivity at the cost of decreased specificity for all 3 outcomes, as follows: (1) acute myocardial infarction: sensitivity: 87.2% (95% CI 72.6% to 95.7%) to 97.4% (95% CI 86.5% to 100%), difference 10.3% (95% CI-0.2% to 24.6%), P=.125; specificity: 62.3% (95% CI 57.2% to 67.1%) to 47.8% (95% CI 42.7% to 52.9%), difference 14.5% (95% CI 11.1% to %18.4), P<.0001; (2) acute coronary syndrome: sensitivity: 75.2% (95% CI 65.7% to 83.3%) to 88.1% (95% CI 80.2% to 93.7%), difference 12.9% (95% CI 7.0% to 21.0%), P=.0002; specificity: 68.0% (95% CI 62.6% to 73.0%) to 48.6% (95% CI 43.1% to 54.2%), difference 19.4% (95% CI 15.2% to 24.1%), P<.0001; (3) 30-day events: sensitivity: 71.2% (95% CI 56.9% to 82.9%) to 88.5% (95% CI 76.6% to 95.7%), difference 17.3% (95% CI 7.7% to 30.3%), P=.004; specificity: 61.8% (95% CI 56.6% to 66.7%) to 43.9% (95% CI 38.8% to 49.0%), difference 17.9% (95% CI 14.2% to 22.2%), P<.0001. There were trends toward increased NPV and decreased PPV for all outcomes, and the addition of BNP achieved a NPV of 99.5% (95% CI 97.0% to 100%) compared with 98.0% (95% CI 95.3% to 99.3%) for acute myocardial infarction.. The addition of BNP as a dichotomous test to troponin I, CK-MB, and myoglobin produces increased sensitivity at a cost of decreased specificity for acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, and 30-day adverse events. Because of this tradeoff, BNP cannot be recommended for use among all ED chest pain patients. However, the improved sensitivity may make this test useful in selected cohorts when the decreased specificity is less important.

Topics: Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Chest Pain; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Creatine Kinase, MB Form; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Risk Factors; ROC Curve; Troponin I

Patients with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for cardiovascular complications. We sought to determine whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonists had any beneficial effect on patients with metabolic syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).. A total of 200 patients with metabolic syndrome undergoing PCI were randomized to rosiglitazone or placebo and followed for 1 year. Carotid intima-medial thickness (CIMT), inflammatory markers, lipid levels, brain natriuretic peptide, and clinical events were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.. There was no significant difference in CIMT between the 2 groups. There was no difference in the 12-month composite end point of death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or any recurrent ischemia (31.4% vs 30.2%, P = .99). The rate of death, MI, or stroke at 12 months was numerically lower in the rosiglitazone group (11.9% vs 6.4%, P = .19). There was a trend toward a greater decrease over time in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein values compared with baseline in the group randomized to rosiglitazone versus placebo both at 6 months (-35.4% vs -15.8%, P = .059) and 12 months (-40.0% vs -20.9%, P = .089) and higher change in high-density lipoprotein (+15.5% vs +4.1%, P = .05) and lower triglycerides (-13.9% vs +14.9%, P = .004) in the rosiglitazone arm. There was a trend toward less new onset diabetes in the rosiglitazone group (0% vs 3.3%, P = .081) and no episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia. There was no excess of new onset of clinical heart failure in the rosiglitazone group, nor was there a significant change in brain natriuretic peptide levels.. Patients with metabolic syndrome presenting for PCI are at increased risk for subsequent cardiovascular events. Rosiglitazone for 12 months did not appear to affect CIMT in this population, although it did have beneficial effects on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. Further study of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonism in patients with metabolic syndrome undergoing PCI may be warranted.

Topics: Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Disease Progression; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents; Male; Metabolic Syndrome; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pilot Projects; PPAR gamma; Rosiglitazone; Thiazolidinediones

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels significantly predict increased risk of death in heart failure. The predictive role of BNP levels in patients with non-cardiac causes of acute dyspnoea presenting to the emergency department is not well characterized.. The B-type natriuretic peptide for Acute Shortness of Breath EvaLuation (BASEL) study enrolled consecutive patients with acute dyspnoea.. Cumulative mortality was 14.8%, 33.1% and 51.9% in 452 patients (age: 19-97 years; 58% male) within low (< 100 pg mL(-1)), intermediate (100-500 pg mL(-1)) and high (> 500 pg mL(-1)) BNP plasma levels at 18 months of follow-up. BNP classes (point estimate: 1.55, 95%CI: 1.19-2.03, P = 0.001) in addition to age, increased heart rate and diuretic use emerged as significant predictors for long-term mortality in multivariable Cox regression analyses. The BNP concentration alone had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.71 (95%CI: 0.66-0.76; P < 0.001) for predicting 18 months mortality. BNP plasma levels independently predicted long-term risk of death in patients with non-cardiac (point estimate: 1.72, 95%CI: 1.16-2.56; P = 0.007) and with cardiac causes of acute dyspnoea (point estimate: 2.21, 95%CI: 1.34-3.64; P = 0.002).. BNP levels are strong and independent predictors for long-term mortality in unselected dyspnoeic patients presenting to the emergency department independent from the cause of dyspnoea.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Coronary Disease; Dyspnea; Emergency Service, Hospital; Epidemiologic Methods; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis

To test novel markers of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), C-reactive protein (CRP), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in low-risk emergency department (ED) patients who were evaluated for ACS in a chest pain unit (CPU).. A convenience sample of 414 patients underwent CPU evaluation, including provocative testing, and were followed prospectively for 45 days for ACS, which was defined as death, myocardial infarction (MI), revascularization, or >60% coronary artery stenosis prompting new medical treatment, adjudicated by three blinded reviewers. Published diagnostic thresholds were used to calculate diagnostic indices for each marker and for the multimarker panel.. The prevalence of ACS was 7 in 414 (1.7%; 95% CI = 0.7% to 3.5%). Only MCP demonstrated a negative likelihood ratio [LR(-)] of less than 0.5, with a sensitivity of 85% (95% CI = 42% to 99%), specificity of 72% (95% CI = 67% to 76%), and LR(-) of 0.20 (95% CI = 0.04 to 0.71). For MPO, CRP, and BNP, LR(-) was 0.89 (95% CI = 0.26 to 2.05), 0.79 (95% CI = 0.40 to 1.01), and 0.90 (95% CI = 0.51 to 1.03), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and LR(-) of an abnormal multimarker panel were 86% (95% CI = 42% to 100%), 17% (95% CI = 13% to 21%), and 0.84 (95% CI = 0.15 to 3.12), respectively.. The prevalence of ACS was very low but was similar to reports from other CPUs. BNP and CRP had high specificities, but had limited sensitivities, whereas MPO had a low specificity. Only MCP had a low LR(-) and should be studied further. The combined multimarker panel had an unexpectedly low sensitivity and specificity, yielding an LR(-) of 0.84, suggesting that the panel would not be an efficient screening test to decrease unnecessary CPU testing.

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Chemokine CCL2; Coronary Disease; Humans; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peroxidase; Prospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity

This study was designed to evaluate biomarkers for selection of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS) that derive mortality benefit from revascularization.. Biomarkers are essential for identification of patients at increased risk, which may be reduced by revascularization.. During the initial 30 days, 2,340 patients of 7,800 (30%) with non-ST-segment elevation ACS in the GUSTO (Global Utilization of Strategies To open Occluded arteries)-IV trial underwent coronary revascularization. The 1-year mortality was calculated in 30-day survivors stratified by status of revascularization and levels of biomarkers. A propensity score for receiving revascularization was constructed and included in a survival analysis that also included the time point of revascularization as a time-dependent covariate.. Elevation of troponin-T or N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was associated with a high mortality. In patients with either or both of these markers elevated, a lower mortality following revascularization was observed. In contrast, patients without elevation of these markers had low 1-year mortality without any reduction in mortality following revascularization. In fact, in patients with normal levels of both troponin-T and NT-proBNP, a significant increase in 1-year mortality after revascularization was observed. Elevation of C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, creatinine clearance, and ST-segment depression was also related to a higher mortality. However, independent of these markers, mortality was lower after revascularization.. Markers of troponin-T and NT-proBNP not only assist in risk stratification of patients with non-ST-segment elevation ACS but also appear to identify patients who have a reduced mortality associated with early coronary revascularization.

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Revascularization; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Assessment; Survival Analysis; Syndrome; Troponin T

By maintaining native coronary blood flow in on-pump beating heart surgery (OnP-BH) and comparing with OPCAB strategy pump-related effects on myocardial injury and cardiac dysfunction could be specifically differentiated from ischemia/reperfusion-related consequences of surgical coronary revascularization.. In a randomized-prospective design, 40 elective patients with normal EF and three vessels coronary artery disease (left main disease excluded) were assigned to OPCAB or OnP-BH surgery. Before coronary occlusion and 1, 30, 60, and 90 min after reperfusion with the LIMA graft, coronary sinus (CS) blood was sampled to determine intraoperative myocardial ischemia (pH, lactate, pO2) and oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, MDA). Additionally to CS blood arterial blood was analyzed 4, 12, and 24 h postoperatively to determine myocardial necrosis (CK-MB, cardiac troponin I), myocardial dysfunction (NT-proBNP) and inflammation (C-reactive protein).. Groups were identical with regards to age and gender (OPCAB 63.0+/-6.0 versus OnP-BH 65.3+/-3.9 y, 20% female patients). Number of grafts were 3.0+/-0.5 in OPCAB versus 2.9+/-0.3 in OnP-BH (n.s.) with 44 versus 34% bilateral IMAs and 56 versus 50% complete arterial revascularization. Regarding ischemia, intraoperatively only lactate values increased significantly in the OnP-BH group. Significantly higher CK-MB and troponin I levels were found from LIMA-LAD flow release onwards to 4 h postoperatively in the OnP-BH group. NT-proBNP levels were significantly higher in the OnP-BH group during the entire study period. CRP levels were higher in the OnP-BH group 12 and 24 h postoperatively.. In this randomized study on routine coronary patients with normal ventricular function, OPCAB revealed less myocardial injury than OnP-BH. These findings implicate that CPB slightly affects the myocardium.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump; Coronary Disease; Creatine Kinase; Creatine Kinase, MB Form; Female; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Intraoperative Complications; Isoenzymes; Lactic Acid; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Oxygen; Peptide Fragments; Prospective Studies; Statistics, Nonparametric; Troponin I

Elevated concentrations of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) at presentation in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are associated with long-term mortality. Few data exist regarding serial assessment of BNP levels during follow-up.. To determine whether concentrations of BNP at study entry (prior to hospital discharge for ACS) and at outpatient follow-up at 4 months and 12 months are associated with subsequent clinical outcomes.. Prospective observational substudy of 4497 patients with non-ST-elevation or ST-elevation ACS who were enrolled in phase Z of the A to Z trial, which was conducted in 41 countries at 322 acute care hospitals between 1999 and 2003.. Death from any cause or new onset of congestive heart failure (CHF) through 2 years.. Levels of BNP were available in 4266 patients at study entry (prior to hospital discharge), 3618 patients at 4 months, and 2966 patients at 12 months. During follow-up there were 230 deaths and 163 incident cases of CHF. Adjusting for age, sex, index event, renal function, hypertension, prior heart failure, and diabetes, elevated levels of BNP (>80 pg/mL) were associated with subsequent death or new CHF when measured at study entry (111 [21%] vs 246 [7%]; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-3.3), at 4 months (34 [19%] vs 125 [4%]; adjusted HR, 3.9; 95% CI, 2.6-6.0), and at 12 months (19 [11%] vs 37 [1%]; adjusted HR, 4.7; 95% CI, 2.5-8.9). Patients with newly elevated levels of BNP at 4 months were at increased risk of death or new CHF (10 [15%] vs 105 [3%]); HR, 4.5; 95% CI, 2.3-8.6). Patients with elevated levels of BNP at study entry and with BNP levels lower than 80 pg/mL at 4 months tended to have only modestly increased risk (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-2.9) compared with patients with BNP levels lower than 80 pg/mL at both visits.. Serial determinations of BNP levels during outpatient follow-up after ACS predict the risk of death or new CHF. Changes in BNP levels over time are associated with long-term clinical outcomes and may provide a basis for enhanced clinical decision making in patients after onset of ACS.Clinical Trials Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00251576.

Topics: Coronary Disease; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Failure; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Survival Analysis

This study was performed to determine the secretion pattern and prognostic value of A-type (ANP) and B-type (BNP) natriuretic peptide in patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures. We measured ANP and BNP in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with (n = 28) or without (n = 32) ventricular dysfunction and in patients undergoing mitral (n = 21) or aortic (n = 24) valve replacement, respectively. Postoperative mortality was recorded up to 730 days after operation. ANP, but not BNP, concentrations were closely associated with volume reloading of the heart after aortic cross-clamp in all patients. The secretion pattern of BNP during surgery was much less uniform. BNP, but not ANP, concentrations correlated with aortic cross-clamp time (r(2) = 0.32; P = 0.006) and postoperative troponin I concentrations (r(2) = 0.22; P = 0.0009) in bypass patients, and preoperative BNP increases were associated with a more frequent postoperative (2-yr) mortality in these patients. Markedly increased preoperative BNP concentrations in mitral (3-fold) and aortic (14-fold) valve disease patients did not further increase during cardiopulmonary surgery. The data suggest that ANP is primarily influenced by intravascular volume reloading of the heart after cross-clamp, whereas the secretion of BNP is related to other factors, such as duration of ischemia and long-term left ventricular pressure and/or excessive intravascular volume. BNP, but not ANP, was shown to be a mortality risk predictor in patients undergoing CABG.. A-type natriuretic peptide is primarily influenced by volume reloading of the heart after cross-clamp, whereas the secretion of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is related to the duration of ischemia and long-term left ventricular pressure and/or volume overload. Preoperative BNP, but not postoperative BNP, concentrations predict long-term outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Topics: Aged; Anesthesia, General; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Postoperative Complications; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Troponin I; Ventricular Function, Left

Whether B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels can be used to screen for ventricular dysfunction in patients at risk of heart failure but without overt symptoms is not known. We examined the characteristics of a BNP test for identifying systolic and diastolic dysfunction in outpatients with stable coronary disease.. In a cross-sectional study of 293 outpatients who had stable coronary disease and no history of heart failure, we compared elevations in plasma BNP levels with echocardiography for the diagnosis of systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction <55%) and diastolic dysfunction (diastolic dominant pulmonary vein flow with ejection fraction > or =55%).. A total of 48 patients (16%) had systolic dysfunction, and among the remaining 245 with preserved systolic function, 31 (13%) had diastolic dysfunction. At the standard cutpoint of >100 pg/mL, an elevated BNP level was 38% sensitive (80% specific) for systolic dysfunction and 55% sensitive (85% specific) for diastolic dysfunction. Negative likelihood ratios were 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6 to 1.0) for systolic dysfunction and 0.5 (95% CI: 0.4 to 0.8) for diastolic dysfunction. Positive likelihood ratios were 1.9 (95% CI: 1.2 to 2.9) for systolic dysfunction and 3.8 (95% CI: 2.4 to 5.9) for diastolic dysfunction. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.59 (95% CI: 0.49 to 0.69) for systolic dysfunction and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.71 to 0.87) for diastolic dysfunction.. These data suggest that BNP is not a useful screening test for asymptomatic ventricular dysfunction in patients with stable coronary disease.

Topics: Aged; Confidence Intervals; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Predictive Value of Tests; Ventricular Dysfunction

To compare the safety and efficacy of nesiritide versus intravenous nitroglycerin (NTG) in patients with acute coronary syndromes enrolled in the Vasodilation in the Management of Acute Congestive heart failure trial. Methods and results Retrospective review of Vasodilation in the Management of Acute Congestive heart failure trial data for heart failure associated with prospectively diagnosed acute coronary syndromes. Sixty-one patients were included; 34 received nesiritide and 27 received NTG. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was measured in right heart-catheterized patients (11 nesiritide, 9 NTG). Death at 6 months occurred in 2 nesiritide and 5 NTG patients (P>.2). Hypotension occurred in 4 nesiritide and 3 NTG patients (P>.6). At 24 hours, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure improvements persisted (P=.001) in the nesiritide group, whereas the NTG group had returned to baseline (P>.1). In non-right heart-catheterized patients, 24-hour dyspnea scores were at least moderately improved in all nesiritide and 71% of NTG (P=.031). At least minimal dyspnea improvement was seen in 100% of nesiritide versus 71% of NTG patients (P>.3), and 6-hour global clinical scores were at least moderately better in 75% of nesiritide versus 32% of NTG (P=.031). In non-right heart-catheterized patients, there were no 30-day readmissions with nesiritide versus 17% with NTG (P>.2).. Nesiritide is as safe as NTG in heart failure patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Topics: Acute Disease; Cardiac Catheterization; Coronary Disease; Double-Blind Method; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nitroglycerin; Pilot Projects; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; Retrospective Studies; Syndrome; Vasodilator Agents

Patients with unstable coronary artery disease have a serious but variable prognosis. An early and specific prediction of risk is essential for stratification of treatment. Serum was obtained at a median of 9.5 hours from symptom onset in 7800 patients with unstable coronary artery disease included in the GUSTO-IV trial for analyses of creatinine, troponin-T, C-reactive protein (CRP) and N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Quartiles of troponin-T were related to an increased mortality and to an increased incidence of myocardial infarction. Increasing quartiles of C-reactive protein were also related to an increased mortality but there was no relation to the incidence of myocardial infarction. On multivariate analysis, troponin-T was the strongest marker for prediction of myocardial infarction, but reduced creatinine clearance and ST-depression at admission were also significant predictors. Prediction of subsequent mortality was possible with several risk indicators. Elevation of NT-proBNP was the strongest predictor of short and long-term mortality with a continuous increase in one-year mortality in relation to the levels. Also reduced creatinine clearance, elevation of CRP, troponin-T, ST-depression and clinical factors indicating a history of cardiovascular disease provided independent prognostic information on long-term mortality. A multimarker strategy with creatinine clearance, troponin, CRP and NT-proBNP together with ischemic ECG changes and clinical background characteristics provides the best prognostic information for choice of treatment in patients with unstable coronary artery disease.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Risk Factors; Troponin T

Recently, in a cross-sectional study, a correlation of moderate degree was documented between serum BNP (brain natriuretic peptide) and exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, it remains unknown if BNP, which increases in response to high myocardial wall stress, is sufficiently sensitive for changes in exercise capacity during clinical follow-up. To elucidate this, 42 CHF patients were recruited and randomized into a training (T; 58 +/- 10 years; n = 14 NYHA II; n = 5 NYHA III) and a control group (CO; 54 +/- 9, n = 17 NYHA II; n = 6 NYHA III). T carried out 12 weeks of endurance training on a cycle ergometer (4 sessions per week, 45 min duration). Venous blood sampling and cycle ergometry with simultaneous gas exchange measurements were carried out prior to and after the experimental phase. Due to its superior stability during laboratory procedures, NTproBNP was determined instead of BNP. Both proteins are secreted in equimolar amounts and share an identical diagnostic meaning. In both groups, NT-proBNP decreased slightly (T: from 1092 +/- 980 to 805 +/- 724 pg x ml(-1); CO: from 1075 +/- 1068 to 857 +/- 1138 pg x ml(-1); T vs CO: p = 0.65). Anaerobic threshold (AT) as a measure of exercise capacity went up in T (from 0.96 +/- 0.17 to 1.10 +/- 0.22 l x min(-1)) but remained almost constant in CO (pre: 1.02 +/- 0.27; post: 1.00 +/- 0.27 l x min(-1); T vs CO: p < 0.001). The correlation between changes in NT-proBNP and changes in AT remained insignificant (r = 0.02, p = 0.89)-even if only T was considered (r = 0.09, p = 0.72). Improved exercise capacity in CHF patients due to 3 months of endurance training is not reflected in the course of NT-proBNP. These findings are inconsistent with a sufficient sensitivity of this parameter to detect changes in exercise capacity during clinical follow-up. Changes in NT-proBNP beyond its spontaneous variability are more likely to be detected following therapeutical interventions which aim more clearly at the myocardium. In determining alterations of functional capacity ergometric testing cannot be replaced by serial determinations of NT-proBNP.

Topics: Aged; Anaerobic Threshold; Analysis of Variance; Biomarkers; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated; Chronic Disease; Coronary Disease; Exercise Test; Exercise Tolerance; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Physical Endurance; Physical Fitness; Predictive Value of Tests; Protein Precursors; Statistics as Topic

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and its N-terminal fragment (NT-proBNP) are elevated in patients with acute coronary syndromes and are closely linked to prognosis. Because there is only a small amount of data available concerning NT-proBNP in patients with stable angina pectoris, we aimed to determine whether NT-proBNP is of additional diagnostic value in these patients.. Ninety-four patients with stable angina pectoris were prospectively included. All patients underwent exercise testing and coronary angiography, and 91 patients received thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial scintigraphy. NT-proBNP was analyzed at rest and after exercise testing. NT-proBNP was elevated in patients with inducible myocardial ischemia shown by single-photon emission computed tomography (396 +/- 80 pg/mL vs 160 +/- 101 pg/mL; P <.01) closely linked to the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) (no CAD, 148 +/- 29 pg/mL; 1- or 2-vessel disease, 269 +/- 50 pg/mL; 3-vessel disease 624 +/- 186 pg/mL; P <.01). In a multivariate analysis, NT-proBNP was an independent predictor for CAD. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.72 for NT-proBNP to predict CAD. Using an optimized cut off level of 214 pg/mL, CAD can be predicted with high accuracy. The total test efficiency of exercise testing can be improved from 1.46 to 1.52 when combined with NT-proBNP measurement.. NT-proBNP is elevated in patients with stable angina pectoris and has a close correlation to disease severity. Combining the measurement of NT-proBNP with exercise testing, the test accuracy for predicting severe CAD can be improved. Our data show an incremental value of NT-proBNP in the diagnostic process of stable angina pectoris.

Topics: Aged; Angina Pectoris; Biomarkers; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Exercise Test; Humans; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Thallium Radioisotopes; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

This study compared the effects of amlodipine and valsartan on the sympathetic nervous system, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and brain natriuretic peptide, which are considered important parameters of the long-term prognosis. Seventy-three elderly patients, who had received antihypertensive treatment for more than 6 months with amlodipine, participated in this study. They were randomized to the V group (n = 36) and switched to valsartan from amlodipine, or to the A group (n = 37), which continued treatment with amlodipine. The dose of valsartan was set as that which controlled the blood pressure to the same extent as before switching. Blood samples were measured before and after 6 months of therapy. Data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance with the Newman-Keuls test. In the V group, norepinephrine (from 597.0 +/- 52.9 to 475 +/- 43.8 pg/ml, p < 0.05) and aldosterone (from 74.5 +/- 7.0 to 53.9 +/- 5.3 pg/ml, p < 0.001) were decreased significantly after 6 months, although norepinephrine and aldosterone levels were unchanged in the A group. However, brain natriuretic peptide did not show a difference between the two groups. These findings suggested that valsartan is probably superior to amlodipine with respect to less activation of the sympathetic nervous system and preventing upregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

Topics: Aged; Aldosterone; Amlodipine; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; Calcium Channel Blockers; Coronary Disease; Delayed-Action Preparations; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Neurotransmitter Agents; Norepinephrine; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1; Tetrazoles; Time Factors; Valine; Valsartan

The timely assessment of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) marking chronic heart failure risk in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) helps to reduce patients' mortality.. To evaluate the potential of wrist pulse signals for use in the cardiac monitoring of patients with CHD.. A total of 419 patients with CHD were assigned to Group 1 (BNP < 95 pg/mL, n = 249), 2 (95 < BNP < 221 pg/mL, n = 85), and 3 (BNP > 221 pg/mL, n = 85) according to BNP levels. Wrist pulse signals were measured noninvasively. Both the time-domain method and multiscale entropy (MSE) method were used to extract pulse features. Decision tree (DT) and random forest (RF) algorithms were employed to construct models for classifying three groups, and the models' performance metrics were compared.. The pulse features of the three groups differed significantly, suggesting different pathological states of the cardiovascular system in patients with CHD. Moreover, the RF models outperformed the DT models in performance metrics. Furthermore, the optimal RF model was that based on a dataset comprising both time-domain and MSE features, achieving accuracy, average precision, average recall, and average F1-score of 90.900%, 91.048%, 90.900%, and 90.897%, respectively.. The wrist pulse detection technology employed in this study is useful for assessing the cardiac function of patients with CHD.

Topics: Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Heart Rate; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Wrist

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-18 (IL-18), important cytokines implicated in atherosclerosis and inflammaging, were assessed for associations with global cardiovascular disease (CVD), atrial fibrillation (AF), and death in older adults.. Participants from Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study Visit 5 (mean age 75.4 ± 5.1 years) with IL-6 and IL-18 measurements were included (n = 5672). Cox regression models were used to assess associations of IL-6 and IL-18 with coronary heart disease (CHD), ischaemic stroke, heart failure (HF) hospitalization, global CVD (composite of CHD, stroke, and HF), AF, and all-cause death. Over a median follow-up of 7.2 years, there were 1235 global CVD events, 530 AF events, and 1173 deaths. Higher IL-6 [hazard ratio (HR) 1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.44-1.72 per log unit increase] and IL-18 (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.26) were significantly associated with global CVD after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. Association between IL-6 and global CVD remained significant after further adjustment for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) but was no longer significant for IL-18 after further adjustments. Interleukin-6 was also associated with increased risk for CHD, HF, and AF after adjustment for covariates. Both IL-6 and IL-18 were associated with increased risk for all-cause death independent of cardiovascular risk factors and other biomarkers.. Among older adults, both IL-6 and IL-18 were associated with global CVD and death. The association between IL-6 with CVD appears to be more robust and was independent of hs-CRP, NT-proBNP, and hs-TnT.. In older adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (average age 75 years), higher levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-18, two proteins implicated in atherosclerosis and increased inflammation that occurs with ageing, significantly increased risk for global cardiovascular disease (including coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure) during the next ∼7 years; interleukin-6 also increased risk for global cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation even after adjustment for other biomarkers of inflammation and subclinical myocardial injury, and both interleukin-6 and interleukin-18 were associated with increased risk for all-cause death independent of cardiovascular risk factors and other biomarkers. In older adults, higher levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-18 were both associated with increased risk for global cardiovascular disease (including coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure) and death.The association between interleukin-6 and global cardiovascular disease appeared to be stronger than that for interleukin-18 and remained significant after adjustment for other biomarkers of inflammation and subclinical myocardial injury.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atherosclerosis; Atrial Fibrillation; Biomarkers; Brain Ischemia; C-Reactive Protein; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Humans; Interleukin-18; Interleukin-6; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Stroke

To analyze the influencing factors of senile coronary heart disease patients complicated with frailty syndrome. A total of 80 elderly patients with coronary heart disease admitted to our hospital from March 2020 to March 2021 were selected as the research subjects. The Fried Frailty Symptom Scale was used to evaluate whether the 80 patients were complicated with frailty syndrome. According to the evaluation results, the patients were divided into a nonfrailty syndrome group (52 cases in total) and frailty syndrome group (28 cases in total). Clinical data of two groups of patients were collected, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of senile coronary heart disease patients complicated with frailty syndrome. Among 80 patients, the incidence of frailty syndrome was 35.00% (28/80), including 18 cases in early frailty and 10 cases in frailty stage. Univariate analysis showed that age, body mass (BMI), diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, chronic renal insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tumor, high uric acid hematic disease, arrhythmia, interleukin-6 (IL-6), c-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen (FIB), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), uric acid (UA), serum creatinine (Scr), serum protein (ALB), white blood cell count (WBC), and neutrophil count were the possible risk factors for senile coronary heart disease complicated with frailty syndrome (

Topics: Aged; Coronary Disease; Frail Elderly; Frailty; Humans; Interleukin-6; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Uric Acid

To evaluate the sex-specific predictive value of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB) for 10-year risk prediction of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, heart failure (HF) and composite outcomes.. Five-thousand four-hundred thirty individuals (mean age 68.6 years, 59.9% women) from the Rotterdam Study, with biomarker measurements between 1997 and 2001, were included. Participants were followed until 2015. We fitted 'basic' models using traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Improvements in c-statistics and net reclassification improvement (NRI) for events and non-events were calculated.. During a median follow-up of 14 years, 747 (13.8%), 563 (10.4%), and 664 (12.2%) participants were diagnosed with CHD, stroke, and HF, respectively. NT-proBNP improved the discriminative performance of the 'basic' model for all endpoints (c-statistic improvements ranging from 0.007 to 0.050) and provided significant event-NRI for HF (14.3% in women; 10.7% in men) and for stroke in men (9.3%). The addition of hs-cTnT increased c-statistic for CHD in women by 0.029 (95% CI, 0.011-0.047) and for HF in men by 0.034 (95% CI, 0.014-0.053), and provided significant event-NRI for CHD (10.3%) and HF (7.8%) in women, and for stroke (8.4%) in men. The added predictive value of CK-MB was limited.. NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT provided added predictive value for various cardiovascular outcomes above traditional risk factors. Sex differences were observed in the predictive performance of these biomarkers.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Risk Factors; Stroke; Troponin T

Background The plasma concentration of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a strong predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to determine whether the association between plasma BNP concentration and cardiovascular mortality is sustained or diminishes with increasing time after BNP is measured. Methods and Results Six thousand seven hundred forty patients with a history of myocardial infarction or unstable angina who participated in the LIPID (Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease) trial had plasma BNP concentration measured at baseline and after 1 year. Associations with cardiovascular mortality were evaluated in landmark analyses 1 to <5, 5 to <10, and 10 to 16 years after randomization. There were 1640 cardiovascular deaths. The cardiovascular mortality rate increased progressively from 10.2 to 19.1 to 26.3/1000 patient-years from 1 to <5, 5 to <10, and 10 to 16 years after baseline, respectively. The average of baseline and 1-year BNP concentration was more strongly associated with cardiovascular mortality compared with baseline or 1-year BNP only. The hazard ratio (HR) for cardiovascular death associated with each doubling of average BNP concentration was similar during years 1 to <5 (HR, 1.53 [95% CI, 1.44-1.63]), years 5 to <10 (HR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.44-1.60]), and years 10-16 (HR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.36-1.50]),

Topics: Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Humans; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Risk Factors

In order to investigate the expression levels of Lipoprotein A (LPa), B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) and Monocyte chemoattractor Protein-1 (McP-1) in serum of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are used to detect significance and to analyze the correlation between these indicators and parameters of echocardiography. The clinical data of 132 CHD patients in our hospital from January 2021 to October 2021 are retrospectively analyzed and included in the CHD group. Another 100 healthy people who came to our hospital for general physical examination were selected as the control group. The expressions of Serum McP-1 and BNP are detected by the ELISA. The expression of Serum LPa is detected by immunoturbidimetry, and the expressions of SERUM McP-1, BNP, and LPa are compared between the two groups. The experiments show that the expressions of McP-1, BNP, and LPa in serum of control group are significantly lower than those of the CHD group (

Topics: Chemokine CCL2; Coronary Disease; Echocardiography; Humans; Lipoprotein(a); Monocytes; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Retrospective Studies; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function, Left

Background Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is a second messenger regulated through natriuretic peptide and nitric oxide pathways. Stimulation of cGMP signaling is a potential therapeutic strategy for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We hypothesized that plasma cGMP levels would be associated with lower risk for incident HFpEF, any HF, ASCVD, and coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods and Results We conducted a case-cohort analysis nested in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study. Plasma cGMP was measured in 875 participants at visit 4 (1996-1998), with oversampling of incident HFpEF cases. We used Cox proportional hazard models to assess associations of cGMP with incident HFpEF, HF, ASCVD (CHD+stroke), and CHD. The mean (SD) age was 62.4 (5.6) years and median (interquartile interval) cGMP was 3.4 pmol/mL (2.4-4.6). During a median follow-up of 9.9 years, there were 283 incident cases of HFpEF, 329 any HF, 151 ASCVD, and 125 CHD. In models adjusted for CVD risk factors, the hazard ratios (95% CI) associated with the highest cGMP tertile compared with lowest for HFpEF, HF, ASCVD, and CHD were 1.88 (1.17-3.02), 2.18 (1.18-4.06), 2.84 (1.44-5.60), and 2.43 (1.19-5.00), respectively. In models further adjusted for N-terminal-proB-type natriuretic peptide, associations were attenuated for HFpEF and HF but remained statistically significant for ASCVD (2.56 [1.26-5.20]) and CHD (2.25 [1.07-4.71]). Conclusions Contrary to our hypothesis, higher cGMP levels were associated with incident CVD in a community-based cohort. The associations of cGMP with HF or HFpEF may be explained by N-terminal-proB-type natriuretic peptide, but not for ASCVD and CHD.

Topics: Aged; Atherosclerosis; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Coronary Disease; Cyclic GMP; Female; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Heart Failure; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; United States

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been described in myelofibrosis (MF), but it is rare and typically found in advanced disease. Although the etiology of PH in MF is unclear, early predictors may be detected by echocardiogram. The goals of our study were to evaluate the prevalence of PH as determined by echocardiography in a cohort of MF patients and to identify clinical risk factors for PH. We performed a retrospective review of MF patients from October 2015 to May 2017 at MD Anderson Cancer Center in the ambulatory clinic, and those with echocardiogram were included. Clinical, echocardiographic, and laboratory data were reviewed. Patients with and without PH were compared using a chi-square or Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression was performed with an outcome variable of PH. There were 143 patients with MF who underwent echocardiogram, and 20 (14%) had echocardiographic findings consistent with PH. Older age, male gender, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, dyspnea, hematocrit, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and N-terminal prohormone BNP (NT-proBNP) were significantly different between those without PH and those with PH (p < 0.05). Female gender was protective (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.049-0.90, p = 0.035), and NT-proBNP was a significant clinical predictor of PH (OR 1.07, CI 1.02 = 1.12, p = 0.006). PH in MF is lower than previously reported in our MF cohort, but many patients had cardiac comorbidities. PH due to left-sided heart disease may be underestimated in MF. Evaluation of respiratory symptoms and elevated NT-proBNP should prompt a baseline echocardiogram. Early detection of PH with a multidisciplinary approach may allow treatment of reversible etiologies.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Dyspnea; Echocardiography; Female; Humans; Hyperlipidemias; Hypertension; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prevalence; Primary Myelofibrosis; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult

The role of NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT levels in predicting heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in persons with prediabetes (pre-DM) and diabetes mellitus (DM) is not well-established. We examined the individual and combined relations of N-terminal natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) levels among asymptomatic adults with pre-DM and DM with the development of incident HF and CVD events. 5,584 participants with biomarker measures aged 45 to 84 years were included from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, of which 4,090 were normoglycemic, 799 had pre-DM, and 695 had DM at baseline and were followed for 12.4 ± 3.8 years. In those with DM, HF incidence rates per 1,000 person-years ranged from 3.2 to 39.4 across quartiles of NT-proBNP and 0.6 to 18.2 for hs-cTnT, respectively. Corresponding values for CVD incidence per 1,000 person-years ranged from 13.7 to 39.4 for NT-proBNP and 13.2 to 35.4 for hs-cTnT. Multivariate adjusted HRs were highest when both NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT were above versus below the median in those with pre-DM/DM (16.7 for incident HF and 2.1 for CVD events, both p <0.01). In conclusion, the combination of both biomarkers to traditional risk factors in participants who were normoglycemic or with pre-DM or DM improved risk prediction for both incident HF and total CVD events in an ethnically diverse population.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Angina Pectoris; Blood Glucose; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prediabetic State; Risk Assessment; Stroke; Troponin T; United States

This study aims to explore the clinical efficacy of ticagrelor combined with aspirin in patients with coronary heart disease angina pectoris and the effects on N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) levels.. A total of 150 patients with coronary heart disease angina pectoris were prospectively analyzed in this study. These patients were admitted to Huaiyin Hospital of Huai'an City from February 2017 to February 2019. The patients were divided into control group and research group according to different treatment methods. The following indicators before and after treatment were observed: therapeutic efficacy, prevalence of adverse reactions, duration and frequency of angina attack, NT-ProBNP and CK-MB levels. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive value of NT-ProBNP and CK-MB for the curative effect of coronary heart disease angina pectoris.. The total effective rate in the research group was higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). The prevalence of adverse reactions in the research group was lower than that in the control group (p<0.05). The duration and frequency of seizures of the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment. The duration and frequency of seizures in the research group were lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). The physiological function, physical pain, vital energy score and general health status in the research group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). The NT-ProBNP and CK-MB levels in both groups after treatment were decreased.. Ticagrelor combined with aspirin has definite therapeutic effect on patients with coronary heart disease angina pectoris, with low prevalence of adverse reactions. It can significantly reduce the levels of NT-ProBNP and CK-MB, which is worthy of promotion.

Topics: Adult; Aspirin; Coronary Disease; Creatine Kinase, MB Form; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Ticagrelor

Inflammation drives atherosclerosis and its complications. Anti-inflammatory therapy with interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) antibody reduces cardiovascular events in patients with elevated high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP). This study aims to identify the share of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and residual inflammation who may benefit from anti-inflammatory therapy.. hsCRP and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were determined in 2741 all-comers admitted to the cardiological ward of our tertiary referral hospital between June 2016 and June 2018. Patients without CHD, with acute coronary syndrome, chronic or recurrent systemic infection, use of immunosuppressant or anti-inflammatory agents, chronic inflammatory diseases, chemotherapy, terminal organ failure, traumatic injury and pregnancy were excluded.. 856 patients with stable CHD were included. 42.7% of those had elevated hsCRP ≥ 2 mg/l. Within the group of patients with LDL-cholesterol < 70 mg/dl, 30.9% shared increased hsCRP indicating residual inflammation. After multivariate adjusted backward selection elevated Lipoprotein (a) (OR 1.61, p = 0.048), elevated proBNP (OR 2.57, p < 0.0001), smoking (OR 1.70, p = 0.022), and obesity (OR 2.28, p = 0.007) were associated with elevated hsCRP. In contrast, the use of ezetimibe was associated with normal hsCRP (OR 0.51, p = 0.014). In the subgroup of patients with on-target LDL-cholesterol < 70 mg/dl, backward selection identified elevated proBNP (OR 3.49, p = 0.007) as independent predictor of elevated hsCRP in patients with LDL-cholesterol < 70 mg/dl.. One-third of all-comers patients with CHD showed increased levels of hsCRP despite a LDL-cholesterol < 70 mg/dl potentially qualifying for an anti-inflammatory therapy. Elevated proBNP is an independent risk factor for hsCRP elevation.

Topics: Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anticholesteremic Agents; Atherosclerosis; C-Reactive Protein; Cholesterol, LDL; Cohort Studies; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ezetimibe; Female; Humans; Incidence; Inflammation; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Retrospective Studies

Novel cardiac biomarkers including soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2, galectin-3, and the N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide may be associated with long-term adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery. We sought to measure the association between cardiac biomarker levels and 1-year hospital readmission or mortality.. Plasma biomarkers from 1,047 patients discharged alive after isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery from 8 medical centers were measured in a cohort from the Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group between 2004 and 2007. We evaluated the association between preoperative and postoperative biomarkers and 1-year readmission or mortality using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards modeling, adjusting for covariates used in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons 30-day readmission model.. The median follow-up time was 365 days. After adjustment for established risk factors, above-median levels of postoperative galectin-3 (median 10.35 ng/mL; hazard ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 1.80; p = 0.010) and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (median = 15.21 ng/mL, hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 1.87; p = 0.014) were each significantly associated with 1-year readmission or mortality.. In patients undergoing cardiac surgery, novel cardiac biomarkers were associated with readmission or mortality independent of established risk factors. Measurement of these biomarkers may improve our ability to identify patients at highest risk for readmission or mortality before discharge. This will also allow resource allocation accordingly, while implementing strategies for personalized medicine based on the biomarker profile of the patient.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Cause of Death; Cohort Studies; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Female; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; New England; Patient Readmission; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Registries; Risk Assessment; Sulfotransferases; Sulfurtransferases; Survival Analysis; Time Factors

Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was supposed to be an independent predictor for vascular-related events. Biomarkers such as homocysteine (Hcy), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and urine albumin(microalbumin) (UAE) have involved the pathophysiological development of arteriosclerosis. The present study was to investigate relationship between CAVI and biomarkers in vascular-related diseases.. A total of 656 subjects (M/F 272/384) from department of Vascular Medicine were enrolled into our study. They were divided into four groups according to the numbers of suffered diseases, healthy group (group 0: subjects without diseases of hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), coronary heart disease (CHD); n = 186), group 1 (with one of diseases of hypertension, CHD, DM; n = 237), group 2 (with two of diseases of hypertension, CHD, DM; n = 174), and group 3 (with all diseases of hypertension, CHD, DM; n = 59). CAVI was measured by VS-1000 apparatus.. CAVI was increasing with increasing numbers of suffered vascular-related diseases. Similar results were found in the parameters of biomarkers such as Hcy, log NT-ProBNP, and log UAE. There were positive correlation between log NT-proBNP, Hcy, log UAE, and CAVI in the entire study group and nonhealthy group. Positive correlation between log UAE and CAVI were found in the entire study group after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, uric acid, and lipids. Multivariate analysis showed that log UAE was an independent associating factor of CAVI in all subjects.. CAVI was significantly higher in subjects with hypertension, CHD, and DM. There was correlation between arterial stiffness and biomarkers such as NT-proBNP, Hcy, and UAE.

Topics: Aged; Albuminuria; Biomarkers; Blood Pressure; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Female; Homocysteine; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Vascular Stiffness

The orientation of the frontal plane T-wave axis (T axis) is a reliable measure of ventricular repolarisation. We investigated the association between T-axis and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke and cardiovascular (CVD) mortality.. A sample of 21,287 Moli-sani participants randomly recruited from the general adult (≥35 y) Italian population, free of CVD disease, were followed for a median of 4.4 years. T-axis was measured from a standard 12-lead resting ECG.. After adjusting for CVD risk factors, subjects with abnormal T-axis showed an increase in the risk of both CHD (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.65; 95% CI = 1.67-4.21), HF (HR = 2.56; 1.80-3.63), AF (HR = 2.48; 1.56-3.94) and CVD mortality (HR = 2.83; 1.50-5.32). The association with CHD and HF, but not with AF or CVD death, remained significant after further adjustment for ECG abnormalities. Subjects with abnormal T-axis showed higher levels of subclinical inflammation, hs-troponin I and hs-NT-proBNP (p < 0.001 for all). However, further adjustment for troponin I and/or NT-proBNP determined a reduction of HRs ranging from 12.1 to 24.0% for CHD, while additional adjustment for inflammation markers did not change any association.. An abnormal T-axis orientation is associated with an increased risk of both CHD and HF, independently of common CVD risk factors and other ECG abnormalities. This association was partially explained by increased hs-troponin I and hs-NT-proBNP levels.

Topics: Action Potentials; Adult; Aged; Atrial Fibrillation; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart Conduction System; Heart Failure; Heart Rate; Hospitalization; Humans; Inflammation Mediators; Italy; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Stroke; Troponin I

To study the expression change of pro-brain natriuretic peptide （proBNP） and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） in sudden death of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, and to explore its application in forensic diagnosis.. Myocardial and blood samples were collected from normal control group, sudden death of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease group and single coronary stenosis group （20 cases in each group）. The expression of proBNP in myocardial samples were detected by immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting, and that of BNP mRNA were detected by reverse transcription PCR （RT-PCR）. The content of NT-proBNP in plasma were detected by ELISA.. Immunohistochemical staining showed positive expression of proBNP in both sudden death of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease group and single coronary stenosis group. There was no positive expression in normal control group. For sudden death of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease group and single coronary stenosis group, the relative expression of proBNP protein and BNP mRNA in myocardial tissue and the NT-proBNP content in plasma were higher than that of normal control group （. In myocardial ischemia condition, the higher expression of proBNP in cardiac muscle cell shows that the detection of NT-proBNP in plasma can be useful to differentially diagnose the degree of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and determine whether the sudden death due to coronary atherosclerotic heart disease.

Topics: Biomarkers; Blotting, Western; Coronary Disease; Death, Sudden, Cardiac; Heart; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Myocardium; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Polymerase Chain Reaction

To investigate whether sphericity volume index (SVI), an indicator of left ventricular (LV) remodelling, predicts incident cardiovascular events (coronary heart disease, CHD; all cardiovascular disease, CVD; heart failure, HF; atrial fibrillation, AF) over 10 years of follow-up in a multiethnic population (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).. 5004 participants free of known CVD had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 2000-2002. Cine images were analysed to compute, [Formula: see text] equivalent to LV volume/volume of sphere with length of LV as the diameter. The highest (greatest sphericity) and lowest (lowest sphericity) quintiles of SVI were compared against the reference group (2-4 quintiles combined). Risk-factor adjusted hazard's ratio (HR) from Cox regression assessed the predictive performance of SVI at end-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES) to predict incident outcomes over 10 years in retrospective interpretation of prospective data.. At baseline, participants were aged 61±10 years; 52% men and 39%/13%/26%/22% Cauc/Chinese/Afr-Amer/Hispanic. Low sphericity was associated with higher Framingham CVD risk, greater coronary calcium score and higher N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP); while increased sphericity was associated with higher NT-proBNP and lower ejection fraction. Low sphericity predicted incident CHD (HR: 1.48, 1.55-2.59 at ED) and CVD (HR: 1.82, 1.47-2.27 at ED). However, both low (HR: 1.81, 1.20-2.73 at ES) and high (HR: 2.21, 1.41-3.46 at ES) sphericity predicted incident HF. High sphericity also predicted AF.. In a multiethnic population free of CVD at baseline, lowest sphericity was a predictor of incident CHD, CVD and HF over a 10-year follow-up period. Extreme sphericity was a strong predictor of incident HF and AF. SVI improved risk prediction models beyond established risk factors only for HF, but not for all CVD or CHD.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrial Fibrillation; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Failure; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Incidence; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Time Factors; United States; Ventricular Function, Left; Ventricular Remodeling

The role of cystatin C, an inhibitor of cysteine proteases, as an alternative and potent predictor of acute cardiovascular events in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients was examined and compared to that of other markers of cardiorenal abnormalities. The patients with CHD demonstrated elevated serum cystatin C, especially in cases with serious risk of cardiovascular complications. In comparison with other indicators of cardiorenal dysfunction, cystatin C can be viewed as an alternative predictor of cardiovascular complications, although its sensitivity is inferior to that of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and natriuretic peptide.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Case-Control Studies; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Cystatin C; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Urea

Identification of preclinical cardiovascular disease represents a challenge. We evaluate N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptides (NT-proBNP) as markers of both cardiac and vascular subclinical disease in a community-based study including asymptomatic middle- aged study participants.. In total, 807 study participants without previous cardiovascular disease were recruited. They underwent thorough laboratory assessment (including NT-proBNP), ultrasound examination of heart and evaluation of coronary calcium score and carotid intima-media thickness, by computed tomography and ultrasound, respectively.Cardiac and vascular disease were defined as one among left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction less than 50% (3.1%), E/E' ratio more than 15 (9%), LV mass index more than 115 in men or more than 95 g/m in women (20%), LV end diastolic diameter more than 55 mm (2.5%), coronary calcium score more than 100 AU (13%), or carotid intima-media thickness more than 1.2 mm (21%), respectively. NT-proBNP [OR, 1.275; 95% (confidence interval) CI, 1.007-1.613, P < 0.001], 10-year Framingham risk score (FRS; OR 1.132; 95% CI, 1.058-1.212, P < 0.001) and lower creatinine clearance (OR, 0.983; 95% CI, 0.971-0.994, P < 0.001) predicted cardiac (220, 27%), whereas 10-year Framingham risk score (OR, 1.340; 95% CI, 1.245-1.674, P < 0.001) and NT-proBNP (OR, 1.501; 95% CI, 1.181-1.907, P < 0.001) predicted vascular involvement (215, 26%), at multivariate analysis. In total, 84 study participants (10.1%) had coexisting cardiac and vascular disease. NT-proBNP increased linearly from health study participants to study participants with only cardiac or vascular involvement, up to coexisting cardiovascular disease.. Coexisting cardiac and vascular involvement in asymptomatic study participants is common. Along with traditional risk factors, NT-proBNP appears a valuable biomarker for global subclinical heart and vessels disease.

Topics: Aged; Anthropometry; Atherosclerosis; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Diseases; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Risk Factors; ROC Curve; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasonography; Vascular Calcification

There is increasing evidence that left atrial dysfunction or cardiopathy is associated with ischemic stroke risk independently of atrial fibrillation. We aimed to determine the prevalence of atrial cardiopathy biomarkers in patients with cryptogenic stroke.. We included consecutive patients with ischemic stroke enrolled in the New York Columbia Collaborative Specialized Program of Translational Research in Acute Stroke registry between December 1, 2008, and April 30, 2012. Medical records were reviewed and patients with a diagnosis of cryptogenic stroke were identified. Atrial cardiopathy was defined as at least one of the following: serum N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level greater than 250 pg/mL, P-wave terminal force velocity in lead V1 (PTFV1) on electrocardiogram (ECG) greater than 5000 µV⋅ms, or severe left atrial enlargement (LAE) on echocardiogram. We compared clinical, echocardiographic, and radiological characteristics between patients with and without atrial cardiopathy.. Among 40 patients with cryptogenic stroke, 63% had at least one of the biomarkers of atrial cardiopathy; 49% had elevated NT-proBNP levels, 20% had evidence of increased PTFV1 on ECG, and 5% had severe LAE. Patients with atrial cardiopathy were more likely to be older (76 versus 62 years, P = .012); have hypertension (96% versus 33%, P < .001), hyperlipidemia (60% versus 27%, P = .05), or coronary heart disease (28% versus 0%, P = .033); and less likely to have a patent foramen ovale (4% versus 40%, P = .007).. There is a high prevalence of biomarkers indicative of atrial cardiopathy in patients with cryptogenic stroke. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether these patients may benefit from anticoagulation to prevent stroke.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrial Fibrillation; Atrial Function, Left; Biomarkers; Brain Ischemia; Cardiomegaly; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Electrocardiography; Female; Foramen Ovale, Patent; Heart Diseases; Humans; Hyperlipidemias; Hypertension; Kidney Diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Pilot Projects; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Registries; Smoking; Ultrasonography; Young Adult

To develop a prediction equation for 10-year risk of a combined endpoint (incident coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, lower extremity hospitalizations) in people with diabetes, using demographic and clinical information, and a panel of traditional and non-traditional biomarkers.. We included in the study 654 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, a prospective cohort study, with diagnosed diabetes (visit 2; 1990-1992). Models included self-reported variables (Model 1), clinical measurements (Model 2), and glycated haemoglobin (Model 3). Model 4 tested the addition of 12 blood-based biomarkers. We compared models using prediction and discrimination statistics.. Successive stages of model development improved risk prediction. The C-statistics (95% confidence intervals) of models 1, 2, and 3 were 0.667 (0.64, 0.70), 0.683 (0.65, 0.71), and 0.694 (0.66, 0.72), respectively (p < 0.05 for differences). The addition of three traditional and non-traditional biomarkers [β-2 microglobulin, creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and cystatin C-based eGFR] to Model 3 significantly improved discrimination (C-statistic = 0.716; p = 0.003) and accuracy of 10-year risk prediction for major complications in people with diabetes (midpoint percentiles of lowest and highest deciles of predicted risk changed from 18-68% to 12-87%).. These biomarkers, particularly those of kidney filtration, may help distinguish between people at low versus high risk of long-term major complications.

Topics: Aged; Alanine Transaminase; Aspartate Aminotransferases; beta 2-Microglobulin; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Cohort Studies; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Cystatin C; Diabetes Complications; Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetic Angiopathies; Diabetic Nephropathies; Female; Fructosamine; gamma-Glutamyltransferase; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Glycated Hemoglobin; Glycated Serum Albumin; Glycation End Products, Advanced; Heart Failure; Hospitalization; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prospective Studies; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Risk Assessment; Self Report; Serum Albumin; Stroke; Troponin T

It is not clear whether vitamin D should be actively supplemented in elderly patients suffering from an acute attack of COPD (AECOPD) and coronary heart disease (CHD).. The patients were divided into three groups according to specific criteria: patients with AECOPD (group A), patients with COPD combined with CHD (group B), and patients with CHD (group C). We measured the levels of vitamin D and analyzed the correlation between vitamin D and important electrolytes, including prealbumin, creatinine, hemoglobin, cystatin C, blood fat, blood calcium, and blood magnesium, and the nutrition state of the whole body. The serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) was measured using an ELISA kit.. The vitamin D level in group B was the lowest, followed by group A. When compared with group C, they all had statistical significance (P<0.05), but there was no statistical difference between groups A and B. There was no difference among the three groups when prealbumin, creatinine, hemoglobin, cystatin C, blood fat, blood calcium, and blood magnesium were compared. The level of BNP in the three groups increased, but it had no obvious correlation with the level of vitamin D (P>0.05).. When elderly patients have coronary artery disease with AECOPD, vitamin D levels were obviously lower and were negatively correlated with the BNP. Low vitamin D levels, as well as poor nutrition, affect cardiopulmonary function and quality of living of elderly patients, especially female patients. Therefore, vitamin D should be supplemented more actively in the female patients suffering from AECOPD and CHD.

Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular System; China; Coronary Disease; Dietary Supplements; Female; Geriatric Assessment; Humans; Lung; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nutritional Status; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Quality of Life; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency

Topics: Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain

To assess the prognostic value of 12-months N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) levels on adverse cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary heart disease.. NT-proBNP concentrations were measured at baseline and at 12-months follow-up in participants of cardiac rehabilitation (median follow-up 8.96 years). Cox-proportional hazards models evaluated the prognostic value of log-transformed NT-proBNP levels, and of 12-months NT-proBNP relative changes on adverse cardiovascular events adjusting for established risk factors measured at baseline.. Among 798 participants (84.7% men, mean age 59 years) there were 114 adverse cardiovascular events. 12-months NT-proBNP levels were higher than baseline levels in 60 patients (7.5%) and numerically more strongly associated with the outcome in multivariable analysis (HR 1.65 [95% CI 1.33-2.05] vs. HR 1.41 [95% CI 1.12-1.78], with a net reclassification improvement (NRI) of 0.098 [95% CI 0.002-0.194] compared to NRI of 0.047 [95% CI -0.0004-0.133] for baseline NT-proBNP levels. A 12-month 10% increment of NT-proBNP was associated with a HR of 1.35 [95% CI 1.12-1.63] for the onset of an adverse cardiovascular event. Subjects with a 12-month increment of NT-proBNP had a HR of 2.56 [95% CI 1.10-5.95] compared to those with the highest 12-months reduction.. Twelve-months NT-proBNP levels after an acute cardiovascular event are strongly associated with a subsequent event and may provide numerically better reclassification of patients at risk for an adverse cardiovascular event compared to NT-proBNP baseline levels after adjustment for established risk factors.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors

In this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of plasma galectin-3 levels in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and chronic heart failure (HF) and selected 261 CHD patients who were consecutively admitted to our hospital. The enrolled chronic HF patients included HF patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Patients without HF served as the control group. Galectin-3 and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were determined and the primary endpoint was the composite of all-cause mortality and rehospitalization with 12-month follow-up. Plasma galectin-3 levels were higher in HF patients compared with non-HF patients (P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses for diagnosis of HF showed that galectin-3 had the greatest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.756 (P < 0.001), with an optimal cutoff of 10.8 ng/mL, yielding a sensitivity of 81.7% and a specificity of 61.7%. Follow-up ROC analyses of galectin-3 for outcome prediction showed an optimal cutoff of 17.8 ng/ mL, yielding a sensitivity of 97.3% and a specificity of 77.6%. Galectin-3 yielded an AUC of 0.899 (P < 0.001), whereas the AUC of BNP was 0.633 (P = 0.022). Galectin-3 led to an AUC of 0.931 (P < 0.001) for HFpEF and an AUC of 0.882 (P < 0.001) for HFrEF. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that galectin-3 was an independent prognostic predictor for chronic HF, especially for HFpEF patients (RR: 1.231, 95% CI: 1.066-1.442). In summary, plasma galectin-3 levels were increased in CHD HF patients and were an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and rehospitalization. In HFpEF patients galectin-3 levels correlated stronger with outcomes than in HFrEF patients.

Topics: Aged; Area Under Curve; Biomarkers; Chronic Disease; Coronary Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Forecasting; Galectin 3; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Patient Readmission; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; ROC Curve; Stroke Volume

Patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) have widely varying prognoses and treatment options. Validated models for risk stratification of patients with CHD are needed. We sought to evaluate traditional and novel risk factors as predictors of secondary cardiovascular (CV) events, and to develop a prediction model that could be used to risk stratify patients with stable CHD.. We used independent derivation (912 participants in the Heart and Soul Study) and validation (2876 participants in the PEACE trial) cohorts of patients with stable CHD to develop a risk prediction model using Cox proportional hazards models. The outcome was CV events, defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, or CV death. The annual rate of CV events was 3.4% in the derivation cohort and 2.2% in the validation cohort. With the exception of smoking, traditional risk factors (including age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes) did not emerge as the top predictors of secondary CV events. The top 4 predictors of secondary events were the following: N-terminal pro-type brain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, urinary albumin:creatinine ratio, and current smoking. The 5-year C-index for this 4-predictor model was 0.73 in the derivation cohort and 0.65 in the validation cohort. As compared with variables in the Framingham secondary events model, the Heart and Soul risk model resulted in net reclassification improvement of 0.47 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.73) in the derivation cohort and 0.18 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.40) in the validation cohort.. Novel risk factors are superior to traditional risk factors for predicting 5-year risk of secondary events in patients with stable CHD.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Albuminuria; Biomarkers; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Decision Support Techniques; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Smoking; Stroke; Time Factors; Troponin T; United States

To study the expression difference in MicroRNA-21 (miRNA-21) levels of the plasma between the patients with coronary heart disease and the subjects without coronary artery lesions, and its clinical significance.. Plasma was obtained from the patients with coronary heart disease(trial group,56 cases) and the subjects without coronary artery lesions(control group, 10 cases), patients with coronary disease were divided into angina(AP, 39 cases) and acute myocardial infarction(AMI, 17 cases)subgroup, the contents of miRNA-21 were detected using qRT-PCR method, and the differential expression of miRNA-21 in each group was analyzed. The levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), high sensitive troponin I(cTnI), B type natriuretic peptide urea (BNP), Gensini, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), integral value of coronary left ventricular end diastole diameter (LV) and homocysteine (HCY) were determined and the correlation between miRNA-21 and these clinical indexes was analyzed.. Compared with control group, there was a significant difference in expression of miRNA-21 in patients with angina and AMI (P < 0.05), and miRNA-21 expression in AMI group was much higher than that in AP group. There was statistical significance in CK, CK-MB, cTnI, Genisis integral comparison between AMI group and control group (P < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between expression of CK, CK-MB, cTnI and the level of circulating miRNA-21 in patients with acute myocardial infarction. And there was a negative correlation between BNP, Gensini integral, LVEF value of coronary artery, LV and circulating miRNA-21.. miRNA-21 was significantly elevated in acute myocardial infarction subgroup than the control group. The level of miRNA-21 associates with the degree of coronary artery stenosis, and might be a potential marker for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. miRNA-21 may play an important role in protecting myocardium from ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Creatine Kinase, MB Form; Humans; MicroRNAs; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Troponin I

Risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the development of subsequent cardiovascular (CV) complications differ by sex. We hypothesize that the relationship between OSA and high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT), cardiac structure, and CV outcomes differs by sex.. Seven hundred fifty-two men and 893 women free of CV disease participating in both the Atherosclerosis Risk in the Communities and the Sleep Heart Health Studies were included. All participants (mean age, 62.5 ± 5.5 years) underwent polysomnography and measurement of hs-TnT. OSA severity was defined by using established clinical categories. Subjects were followed for 13.6 ± 3.2 years for incident coronary disease, heart failure, and CV and all-cause mortality. Surviving subjects underwent echocardiography after 15.2 ± 0.8 years. OSA was independently associated with hs-TnT among women (P=0.03) but not in men (P=0.94). Similarly, OSA was associated with incident heart failure or death in women (P=0.01) but not men (P=0.10). This association was no longer significant after adjusting for hs-TnT (P=0.09). Among surviving participants without an incident CV event, OSA assessed in midlife was independently associated with higher left ventricle mass index only among women (P=0.001).. Sex-specific differences exist in the relationship between OSA and CV disease. OSA, assessed in midlife, is independently associated with higher levels of concomitantly measured hs-TnT among women but not men, in whom other comorbidities associated with OSA may play a more important role. During 13-year follow-up, OSA was associated with incident heart failure or death only among women, and, among those without an incident event, it was independently associated with left ventricular hypertrophy only in women.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Death Certificates; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Failure; Hospitalization; Humans; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Polysomnography; Prospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Factors; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive; Troponin T; Ultrasonography; United States

Despite compelling evidence for sodium's adverse effects on blood pressure, it remains uncertain whether excess sodium intake is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) in the overall population and in potentially more susceptible subgroups.. We prospectively followed 7543 adults aged 28 to 75 years and free of cardiovascular and kidney disease in 1997/1998 of the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-stage Disease (PREVEND) study. Sodium excretion was measured in two 24-hour urine collections at baseline. Potential susceptibility factors were blood pressure and plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Median 24-hour sodium excretion was 137 mmol (Q1-Q3, 106-171 mmol). During a median follow-up of 10.5 (Q1-Q3: 9.9-10.8) years, 452 CHD events occurred. In the entire cohort, there was no association between each 1-g/d (43 mmol/24 h) increment in sodium excretion and CHD risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.98-1.18; P=0.15). However, the association of sodium excretion with CHD risk tended to be modified by mean arterial pressure (Pinteraction=0.08) and was modified by NT-proBNP (Pinteraction=0.002). When stratified, each 1-g/d increment in sodium excretion was associated with an increased risk for CHD in subjects with hypertension (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.28; n=2363) and in subjects with NT-proBNP concentrations above the sex-specific median (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.30; n=3771).. Overall, there was no association between sodium excretion and risk of CHD. The association between sodium excretion and CHD risk was modified by NT-proBNP. Higher sodium excretion was associated with an increased CHD risk among subjects with increased NT-proBNP concentrations or with hypertension.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Biomarkers; Blood Pressure; Circadian Rhythm; Cohort Studies; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sodium

Relationship of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) with parameters that could provide more information than hemodynamic renal indexes has not been clarified. We aimed to explore the association of comprehensive renal parameters with LVDD in a community-based elderly population.. 1,166 community residents (aged ≥ 65 years, 694 females) participating in the Shanghai Heart Health Study with complete data of renal parameters were investigated. Echocardiography was used to evaluate diastolic function with conventional and tissue Doppler imaging techniques. Serum urea, creatinine, urea-to-creatinine ratio, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) were analyzed on their associations with LVDD.. The prevalence of LVDD increased in proportion to increasing serum urea, urea-to-creatinine ratio and UACR. These three renal parameters were found negatively correlated to peak early (E) to late (A) diastolic velocities ratio (E/A), and positively to left atrial volume index; UACR also positively correlated with E to peak early (E') diastolic mitral annular velocity ratio (E/E'). Serum urea, urea-to-creatinine ratio and UACR correlated with LVDD in logistic univariate regression analysis, and urea-to-creatinine ratio remained independently correlated to LVDD [Odds ratio (OR) 2.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-5.95] after adjustment. Serum urea (OR 1.18, 95%CI 1.03-1.34), creatinine (OR 6.53, 95%CI 1.70- -25.02), eGFR (OR 0.22, 95%CI 0.07-0.65) and UACR (OR 2.15, 95%CI 1.42-3.24) were revealed independent correlates of advanced (moderate and severe) LVDD.. Biochemical parameters of renal function were closely linked with LVDD. This finding described new cardio-renal relationship in the elderly population.

Topics: Aged; China; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diastole; Echocardiography; Female; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Hemodynamics; Humans; Kidney; Kidney Diseases; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Odds Ratio; Peptide Fragments; Prevalence; Sex Factors; Ultrasonography, Doppler; Urea; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Backround N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a reliable predictor in acute coronary artery disease (CAD). Little is known about patients with stable CAD, especially Chinese patients with CAD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of NT-proBNP levels with the severity of CAD in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction.. A total of 658 consecutive patients were divided into two groups based on angiograms: CAD group (n = 484) and angiographic normal control group (n = 174). The severity of CAD was evaluated by modified Gensini score, and its relationship with NT-proBNP was analyzed.. The prevalence of risk factors such as age, male gender, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, smoking, and family history of CAD in the CAD group were higher than that in the control group. In multivariate regression model analysis, age, gender, and DM were determinants of the presence of CAD. NT-pro BNP was found to be an independent predictor for CAD (OR:1.66 (95% CI: 1.06-2.61), P < 0.05). In a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, an NT-proBNP value of 641.15 pmol/L was identified as a cut-off value in the diagnosis or exclusion of CAD (area under curve (AUC) = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.51-0.61). Furthermore, NT-proBNP was positively correlated with Gensini score (r = 0.14, P < 0.001) in patients with CAD.. NT-proBNP was an independent predictor for Chinese patients with CAD, suggesting that the NT-proBNP level might be associated with the presence and the severity of CAD.

Topics: Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke Volume

To examine associations between habitual physical activity (PA) and changes in PA and onset of coronary heart disease (CHD) and the pathways linking PA to CHD.. British Regional Heart Study population-based cohort; men completed questionnaires in 1996 and 1998 to 2000, attended rescreen in 1998 to 2000, and were followed up to June 2010.. Community.. Of 4,252 men recruited from primary care centers (77% of those invited and eligible) who were rescreened in 1998 to 2000, 3,320 were ambulatory and free from CHD, stroke, and heart failure and participated in the current study.. Usual PA (regular walking and cycling, recreational activity and sport). Outcome was first fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction.. In 3,320 ambulatory men, 303 first and 184 fatal CHD events occurred during a median of 11 years of follow-up; 9% reported no usual PA, 23% occasional PA, and 68% light or more-intense PA. PA was inversely associated with novel risk markers C-reactive protein, D-dimer, von Willebrand Factor and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Compared with no usual PA, hazard ratios (HRs) for CHD events, adjusted for age and region, were 0.52 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.34-0.79) for occasional PA, 0.47 (95% CI = 0.30-0.74) for light PA, 0.51 (95% CI = 0.32-0.82) for moderate PA, and 0.44 (95% CI = 0.29-0.65) for moderately vigorous or vigorous PA (P for linear trend = .004). Adjustment for established and novel risk markers somewhat attenuated HRs and abolished linear trends. Compared with men who remained inactive, men who maintained at least light PA had an HR for CHD events of 0.73 (95% CI = 0.53-1.02) and men whose PA level increased had an HR of 0.86 (95% CI = 0.55-1.35).. Even light PA was associated with significantly lower risk of CHD events in healthy older men, partly through inflammatory and hemostatic mechanisms and cardiac function (NT-proBNP).

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Age of Onset; Aged; Aging; Biomarkers; Cause of Death; Coronary Disease; Follow-Up Studies; Hemostasis; Humans; Inflammation; Male; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Motor Activity; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survival Rate; Time Factors; United Kingdom

Brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the amino-terminal fragment of its prohormone (NT-proBNP) are known predictors of cardiovascular outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease; however, the relative prognostic value of these 2 biomarkers for secondary events remains unclear.. In 983 participants with stable coronary heart disease, we evaluated the association of BNP and NT-proBNP with time to hospitalization for heart failure, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke or transient ischemic attack, cardiovascular death, and combined major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). During an average follow-up of 6.5±3.3 years, both BNP and NT-proBNP were associated with increased risk of MACE in a multivariable-adjusted model (hazard ratio per standard deviation of log BNP: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.32 to 1.89; hazard ratio per standard deviation of log NT-proBNP: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.52 to 2.24). When added to traditional risk factors, NT-proBNP predicted MACE better than BNP (C statistic: 0.76 versus 0.72, P<0.001). Similarly, the addition of NT-proBNP resulted in a greater net reclassification improvement for predicting MACE than the addition of BNP (65% for NT-proBNP, 56% for BNP).. Both BNP and NT-proBNP were significant predictors of MACE in stable coronary heart disease; however, NT-proBNP was superior to BNP for net risk reclassification for MACE.

Topics: Aged; Cohort Studies; Coronary Disease; Echocardiography; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Protective Factors; Risk Assessment; Stroke

Pathophysiological studies suggest that A-type natriuretic peptides (ANPs) might provide valuable information beyond B-type natriuretic peptides (BNPs) about cardiac dysfunction in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). We aimed to assess the predictive value of midregional pro-A-type natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) for recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in stable CHD patients for whom information on N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) was already available.. Plasma concentrations of MR-proANP and NT-proBNP were measured at baseline in a cohort of 1048 patients aged 30-70 years with CHD who were participating in an in-hospital rehabilitation program. Main outcome measures were cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke.. During a median follow-up of 8.1 years, 150 patients (incidence 21.1 per 1000 patient-years) experienced a secondary CVD event. MR-proANP was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.89 (95% CI, 1.01-3.57) when the top quartile was compared to the bottom quartile in the fully adjusted model (P for trend = 0.011). For NT-proBNP the respective HR was 2.22 (95% CI, 1.19-4.14) with a P for trend = 0.001. Finally, MR-proANP improved various model performance measures, including c-statistics and reclassification metrics, but without being superior to NT-proBNP.. Although we found an independent association of MR-proANP as well as NT-proBNP when used as single markers with recurrent CVD events after adjustment for established risk factors, the results of a simultaneous assessment of both markers indicated that MR-proANP fails to provide additional prognostic information to NT-proBNP in the population studied.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cohort Studies; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Proportional Hazards Models; Socioeconomic Factors; Statistics, Nonparametric

YKL-40 is an inflammatory glycoprotein involved in endothelial dysfunction and expressed in macrophages in the earliest lesions of atherosclerosis. Elevated serum YKL-40 levels are independently associated with the presence and extent of coronary artery disease and cardiovascular mortality. Because there are no data on heart transplant recipients and because they are prone to cardiovascular complications, the aim of this study was to assess YKL-40 in this population with particular attention to its relationship with endothelial damage. We studied 84 patients after heart transplantation. Healthy volunteers served as control subjects.. Complete blood count, urea, creatinine, lipids, fasting glucose, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and iron status were studied with the use of standard laboratory methods. We assessed YKL-40, copeptin, markers of inflammation high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin (IL) 6, and markers of endothelial cell injury von Willebrand factor (vWF) and midkine with the use of commercially available assays.. Mean levels of YKL-40, IL-6, vWF, and hsCRP were significantly higher in heart allograft recipients than in the control group (P < .001). In univariate analysis, YKL-40 was related to kidney function (creatinine, r = 0.63 [P < .001]; estimated glomerular filtration rate, r = -0.44 [P < .001]), NT-proBNP (r = 0.45; P < .001), age (r = 0.33; P < .01), time after transplantation (r = 0.23; P < .05), copeptin (r = -0.42; P < .001), soluble transferrin receptor (r = 0.24; P < .05), hemoglobin (r = -0.42; P < .001), transferrin (r = -0.31; P < .01), haptoglobin (r = 0.39; P < .001), cystatin C (r = 0.55; P < .001), ejection fraction (r = -0.28; P < .05), New York Heart Association functional class (r = -0.41; P < .01), hsCRP (r = 0.26; P < .05), IL-6 (r = 0.23; P < .05), vWF (r = -0.40; P < .001), and midkine (r = 0.33; P < .01). In multivariate analysis, only creatinine was found to be a predictor of YKL-40 (β = 0.59; P = .02), explaining 56% of the variation in YKL-40 levels in heart allograft recipients.. YKL-40 may contribute to the enhanced risk of cardiovascular complications mainly owing to impaired renal function in patients after heart transplantation.

Topics: Adipokines; Adult; Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Cardiovascular Diseases; Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Cystatin C; Female; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Glycopeptides; Heart Transplantation; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-6; Lectins; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Transplant Recipients

To evaluate the usefulness of ratio of early diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E) to mitral annular velocity (e') calculated by simultaneously recording E and e' in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients.. A total of 77 CHD patients with preserved systolic functions underwent echocardiography. Left ventricular catheterization was performed to measure left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP). The accuracy of E/e' was compared by recording the dual-Doppler and conventional methods for diagnosing diastolic dysfunction and the relationships between N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The validity of E/e'dual Doppler and combined E/e'dual Doppler and NT-proBNP in estimating left ventricular diastolic dysfunction namely LVEDP ≥ 12 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) were estimated.. E/e'dual Doppler was correlated with left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and logNT-proBNP (r = 0.79, r = 0.47, respectively, P < 0.01). E/e'conventional was correlated with LVEDP and logNT-proBNP (r = 0.61, P < 0.01, r = 0.35, P < 0.05, respectively). The area under curve (AUC) of E/e'dual Doppler and E/e'conventional was 0.87 and 0.82. The optimal cut-off of E/e'dual Doppler was 9.2 with a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 81%. And the optimal cut-off of plasma NT-proBNP was 108 ng/L with a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 86%, AUC 0.79.When E/e'dual Doppler ≥ 9.2 and NT-proBNP ≥ 108 ng/L were combined, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing diastolic dysfunction were 86% and 69%, AUC 0.89.. The accuracy of E/e'dual Doppler is better than E/e'conventional for diagnosing left diastolic dysfunction. When E/e'dual Doppler and NT-proBNP are combined, it improves the evaluation accuracy of left diastolic dysfunction.

Topics: Area Under Curve; Coronary Disease; Diastole; Echocardiography, Doppler; Humans; Mitral Valve; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) predict secondary cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary heart disease.. To determine the association of hs-cTnT levels with structural and functional measures of heart disease and the extent to which these measures explain the relationship between hs-cTnT and secondary events.. We measured serum concentrations of hs-cTnT and performed exercise treadmill testing with stress echocardiography in a prospective cohort study of outpatients with coronary heart disease who were enrolled from September 11, 2000, through December 20, 2002, and followed up for a median of 8.2 years.. Twelve outpatient clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area.. Nine hundred eighty-four patients with stable coronary heart disease.. Cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, heart failure, or cardiovascular death), determined by review of medical records and death certificates.. Of 984 participants, 794 (80.7%) had detectable hs-cTnT levels. At baseline, higher hs-cTnT levels were associated with greater inducible ischemia and worse left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial function, diastolic function, left ventricular mass, and treadmill exercise capacity. During follow-up, 317 participants (32.2%) experienced a cardiovascular event. After adjustment for clinical risk factors, baseline cardiac structure and function, and other biomarkers (N-terminal portion of the prohormone of brain-type natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein levels), each doubling in hs-cTnT level remained associated with a 37% higher rate of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.14-1.65]; P = .001).. In outpatients with stable coronary heart disease, higher hs-cTnT levels were associated with multiple abnormalities of cardiac structure and function but remained independently predictive of secondary events. These findings suggest that hs-cTnT levels may detect an element of risk that is not captured by existing measures of cardiac disease severity.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Death, Sudden, Cardiac; Echocardiography, Stress; Exercise Test; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Outpatients; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; San Francisco; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; Troponin T

To analyze the relationship between N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and renal function, and compare the ability and cut-off thresholds of NT-proBNP to detect chronic heart failure (CHF) and predict mortality in elderly Chinese coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD).. The study included 999 CAD patients older than 60 years. The endpoint was all-cause mortality over a mean follow-up period of 417 days.. The median age was 86 years (range: 60-104 years), and the median NT-proBNP level was 409.8 pg/mL. CKD was present in 358 patients. Three hundred and six patients were positive for CHF. One hundred and ten CKD patients and 105 non-CKD patients died. Not only CKD, but also estimated glomerular filtration rate independently affected NT-proBNP. NT-proBNP detected CHF with a cut-off value of 298.4 pg/mL in non-CKD patients and a cut-off value of 435.7 pg/mL in CKD patients. NT-proBNP predicted death with a cut-off value of 369.5 pg/mL in non-CKD patients and a cut-off value of 2584.1 pg/mL in CKD patients. The NT-proBNP level was significantly related to the prevalence of CHF and all-cause mortality in CAD patients with and without CKD; this effect persisted after adjustment. The crude and multiple adjusted hazard ratios of NT-proBNP to detect CHF and predict mortality were significantly higher in patients with CKD compared with the remainder of the population. The addition of NT-proBNP to the three-variable and six-variable models generated a significant increase in the C-statistic.. Amongst elderly Chinese CAD patients, there was an independently inverse association between NT-proBNP and renal function. With the higher cutoff points, NT-proBNP better detected CHF and better predicted mortality in CKD patients than in non-CKD patients.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; China; Coronary Disease; Diagnostic Imaging; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Kidney Function Tests; Linear Models; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Survival Rate

Adiponectin is produced by adipose tissue and regarded as protective hormone for diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD). Its role in heart failure is discussed controversially.. In this study, 1015 consecutive patients admitted for acute (n = 149) or elective (n = 866) coronary angiography were enrolled. Patients with known diabetes mellitus (DM) were excluded. All patients were classified by oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and by the results of coronary angiography as no/minor coronary heart disease (CHD), single-vessel disease (1-VD), double-vessel disease (2-VD) or triple-vessel disease (3-VD), by New York Heart Association (NYHA) criteria and by echocardiography for heart failure. Adiponectin and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were measured in all patients.. Adiponectin was higher in patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (13.65 ± 10.31 mg/l) compared to impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (11.12 ± 7.5, p < 0.001) or diabetes (11.22 ± 7.63, p < 0.001). There was a stepwise decrease in adiponectin from no CHD (18.16 ± 12.49 mg/L) to minor CHD (16.01 ± 11.42) to 1-VD (12.18 ± 8.8, p < 0.001 to no/minor CHD) to 2- and 3-VD (10.68 ± 7.5, p < 0.001 to no/minor CHD, p = 0.004 to 1-VD). Patients with heart failure NYHA III (17.4 ± 10.27) had higher adiponectin levels compared to NYHA II (12.94 ± 9.41, p < 0.001 to NYHA III) and NYHA I (10.3 ± 7.75, p < 0.001 to NYHA III/II). In this line, adiponectin levels were positively correlated to NT-proBNP levels (r = 0.303), and patients with ejection fraction (EF) < 50% had higher adiponectin levels than those with EF > 50% (14.96 ± 4.35 to 11.78 ± 3.71, p = 0.006).. Adiponectin levels are inversely correlated to progressing CHD and glucose intolerance but positively correlated to increasing heart failure.

Topics: Adiponectin; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Female; Glucose; Glucose Intolerance; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been employed as a risk marker in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with ST elevation and non-ST elevation. It is not yet established if early BNP measurements provide additional information to troponin and electrocardiographic analysis in patients without ventricular enlargement and systolic dysfunction.. This study compared BNP levels in patients with stable angina (SA) and acute coronary syndromes with non-ST elevation in relation to angiographic lesions (NSTEMI-ACS). Moreover, the diagnostic utility of BNP was determined using the receiver operating characteristic curve.. 280 patients with CAD without ST elevation and preserved systolic function were studied. BNP samples were measured in all recruited patients within 24 hours of hospitalization.. BNP values increased progressively with the severity of diagnosis: SA (n = 85; 50.4 ± 50 pg/ml) NSTEMI-ACS (n = 195; 283 ± 269 pg/ml; p < 0.0001). The analysis of BNP in relation to the number of involved vessels demonstrated significantly increased levels in patients with multivessel disease compared to patients with 1- or 2-vessel disease (p < 0.001 and p < 0.003). Values of BNP >80 pg/ml were shown to be able to predict CAD severity and coronary vessel involvement (AUC = 0.80; p = 0.0001) with a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 72%. In multivariate analysis, BNP levels >80 pg/ml, CAD history, and ST deviation >2 mm were confirmed as independent predictors of CAD severity.. Circulating BNP levels appear elevated in NSTEMI-ACS, without left ventricular systolic dysfunction. A BNP cut-off value of 80 pg/ml is a good predictor of CAD extension.

Topics: Acute Coronary Syndrome; Aged; Angina, Stable; Biomarkers; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Italy; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Predictive Value of Tests; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; ROC Curve; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Systole; Up-Regulation; Ventricular Function, Left

To evaluate the association between N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) values and the severity of coronary lesions at angiography in unstable angina patients with preserved left ventricular function.. A total of 133 patients with primary diagnosis of unstable angina were enrolled into this study. NT-proBNP level was determined before the angiography and Gensini score, a measurement of extent of myocardial ischemia, was calculated after the angiography by experienced cardiologists. Patients with >50% stenosis of the left main or 75% stenosis of one or more coronary branches with diameter >2 mm were defined as "angiography positive" and turned to percutaneous coronary intervention.. There was a significant difference of circulating NT-proBNP level between the angiography positive and negative groups and the median NT-proBNP values were 367.5 pg/mL and 112 pg/mL, respectively (P < 0.001). A significant correlation was observed between log NT-proBNP and log Gensini score (P < 0.001). NT-proBNP level was a predictor of angiography positive result and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.776 (95% CI 0.693-0.858).. NT-proBNP level was found to be higher with the severity of myocardial ischemia. However, the ability of NT-proBNP to identify clinically significant angiographic lesions was moderate.

Topics: Aged; Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prospective Studies; ROC Curve; Ventricular Function, Left

Measuring circulating cardiac troponin using novel sensitive assays has revealed that even minute elevations are associated with increased mortality in patients with coronary artery disease or even in the general population. Less well defined, however, is the incremental value of measuring circulating cardiac troponin I (cTnI) by a sensitive assay for risk assessment in primary prevention.. We measured circulating concentrations of cTnI, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in 5388 individuals free of known cardiovascular disease recruited into the DETECT study, a prospective longitudinal population-based cohort study. We determined the prognostic implications for incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during 5 years of follow-up.. Circulating cTnI was detectable in 19% of the subjects. Increased cTnI concentrations were associated with established risk factors for atherosclerosis and demonstrated a graded relationship with all-cause mortality and incident MACE during 5-year follow-up. A single measurement of cTnI significantly improved risk prediction over established risk factors, and also added prognostic information, when adjusted for serum concentrations of NT-proBNP and hsCRP.. Minute increases in cTnI are associated with increased mortality and incident MACE in a large primary prevention cohort and, thus, identify contributors to cardiovascular risk not fully captured by traditional risk factor assessment.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Primary Prevention; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Protein Precursors; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Sensitivity and Specificity; Troponin I

The clinical relevance of slightly increased circulating troponin concentrations in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) several weeks after an acute event or CABG has not been fully evaluated.. Baseline plasma concentrations of troponin T were measured with a high-sensitivity assay (hs-cTnT) (Roche Elecsys) in a cohort of 1050 CHD patients from 30 to 70 years of age. The prognostic value of hs-cTnT on a combined cardiovascular disease (CVD) end point after adjustment for covariates was determined with Cox proportional hazards modeling.. The median hs-cTnT concentration was 10.9 ng/L (interquartile range, 5.1-18.9 ng/L). Increased hs-cTnT concentrations were associated with an older age, history of hypertension and diabetes, more advanced coronary artery disease, and other CHD risk factors. Furthermore, hs-cTnT concentration was strongly correlated with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cystatin C (ρ = 0.61, and ρ = 0.32, respectively; both P values <0.0001). During a median follow-up of 8.1 years, 150 patients (14.3%) experienced a secondary CVD event. In a multivariate model, hs-cTnT was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) for secondary events of 2.83 (95% CI, 1.68-4.79) when the extreme quartiles were compared. Further adjustment for cystatin C, NT-proBNP, and C-reactive protein attenuated this association only slightly (HR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.31-3.95); P for trend < 0.002). ROC curve analysis of a clinical model that added hs-cTnT to a baseline model showed nonsignificant improvement in the area under the curve (0.69 vs 0.67), whereas the net reclassification improvement was 17.2% (P = 0.029).. Slightly increased hs-cTnT concentrations in stable CHD patients are associated with several cardiovascular disorders and predict long-term CVD events.

Topics: 1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase; Adult; Aged; C-Reactive Protein; Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Cystatin C; Endpoint Determination; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Phospholipases A2, Secretory; Predictive Value of Tests; Recurrence; Troponin T

The consumption of fish has been associated with a minor risk of cardiovascular mortality.. Thirty-one patients with clinical and angiographic evidence of coronary illness and no data of heart failure were followed up. One gram per day of omega-3-acid ethyl esters was added to their usual cardiologic treatment. Demographic, clinical and analytical data (lipid, ESR, CRP, lipoprotein[a], fibrinogen, and BNP levels) were evaluated at the beginning and at 9 months.. Six patients had cardiologic events in the follow up although none presented acute coronary syndrome. Significant differences were seen in HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) (38,5[9,6] vs. 42,1 (11,0), p=0,000), hemoglobin (g/dL) (13,2 [1,7] vs. 13,9 (1,7), p=0,009) and pro-BNP (pg/dL) (745,5 [1,035,7] vs. 235,8 [194,0], p=0,008) levels. No significant differences existed either in the inflammatory parameters or in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.. One gram day of omega-3-acid ethyl esters added to the usual cardiologic treatment in patients with coronary heart disease improves pro BNP levels of patients with preserved left ventricular function without modifying serum inflammatory parameters.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, LDL; Coronary Disease; Drug Administration Schedule; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Triglycerides

Polymorphisms within individual natriuretic peptide genes have been associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but their association with clinical outcomes was previously unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between genetic variants in key genes of the natriuretic peptide system with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. Coronary disease patients (n=1810) were genotyped for polymorphisms within NPPA, NPPB, NPPC, NPR1 and NPR2. Clinical history, natriuretic peptide concentrations, echocardiography, all-cause mortality and cardiovascular hospital readmissions were recorded over a median 2.8 years. Minor alleles of NPPA rs5068, rs5065 and rs198358 were associated with less history of hypertension; minor alleles of NPPA rs5068 and rs198358 was also associated with higher circulating natriuretic peptide levels (p=0.003 to p=0.04). Minor alleles of NPPB rs198388, rs198389, and rs632793 were associated with higher circulating BNP and NT-proBNP (p=0.001 to p=0.03), and reduced E/E(1) (p=0.011), or LVESVI (p=0.001) and LVEDVI (p=0.004). Within NPPC, both rs11079028 and rs479651 were associated with higher NT-proBNP and CNP (p=0.01 to p=0.03), and rs479651 was associated with lower LVESVI (p=0.008) and LVEDVI (p=0.018). NPR2 rs10758325 was associated with smaller LVMI (p<0.02). A reduced rate of cardiovascular readmission was observed for minor alleles of NPPA rs5065 (p<0.0001), NPPB rs632793 (p<0.0001), rs198388 (p<0.0001), rs198389 (p<0.0001), and NPR2 rs10758325 (p<0.0001). There were no associations with all-cause mortality. In established cardiovascular disease, natriuretic peptide system polymorphisms were associated with natriuretic peptide levels, hypertension, echocardiographic indices and the incidence of hospital readmission for cardiovascular events.

Topics: Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Coronary Disease; Female; Genotype; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Natriuretic Peptide, C-Type; Polymorphism, Genetic; Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor

Topics: Aged; Angioplasty; Biomarkers; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Electrocardiography; Humans; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pulmonary Edema; Stents; Treatment Failure; Troponin; Ventilator Weaning

Limited evidence suggests NT-proBNP improves prediction of coronary heart disease (CHD) events but further data are needed, especially in people without pre-existing CHD and in women.. We measured NT-proBNP in serum from 162 women with incident CHD events and 1226 controls (60-79 years) in a case-control study nested within the prospective British Women's Heart and Health Study. All cases and controls were free from CHD at baseline. We related NT-proBNP to CHD event risk, and determined to what extent NT-proBNP enhanced CHD risk prediction beyond established risk factors.. The odds ratio for CHD per 1 standard deviation increase in log(e)NT-proBNP was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.13-1.68) in analyses adjusted for established CHD risk factors, social class, CRP and insulin. However, addition of log(e)NT-proBNP did not improve the discrimination of a prediction model including age, social class, smoking, physical activity, lipids, fasting glucose, waist:hip ratio, hypertension, statin and aspirin use, nor a standard Framingham risk score model; area under the receiver operator curve for the former model increased from 0.676 to 0.687 on inclusion of NT-proBNP (p=0.3). Furthermore, adding NT-proBNP did not improve calibration of a prediction model containing established risk factors, nor did inclusion more appropriately re-classify participants in relation to their final outcome. Findings were similar (independent associations, but no prediction improvement) for fasting insulin and CRP.. These results caution against use of NT-proBNP for CHD risk prediction in healthy women and suggest a need for larger studies in both genders to resolve outstanding uncertainties.

Topics: Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; England; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Risk Factors

The serum proteins creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CKMB) and cardiac troponin T are classic biomarkers of cardiac ischemic damage in clinical practice, which can sensitively detect myocardial necrosis, while other two serum proteins, ischemia-modified albumin and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), have been recently identified as novel biomarkers of myocardial ischemia. In this study, the four biomarkers were detected in sera from 44 eligible patients with suspected coronary heart disease (CHD) before and after treadmill exercise test (TET), electrocardiogram (ECG) was measured during TET (TET-ECG) and invasive examination of coronary angiography (CAG), which is the 'gold standard' of CHD diagnosis, was also performed. For CAG, 25 patients were positive and 19 were negative, whereas for TET-ECG the numbers were 19 and 25, respectively. Among these four biomarkers, the NT-proBNP level in CAG positive group was much higher than those in CAG negative group both before and after TET, with statistical significance before TET (P=0.008). Furthermore, according to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the serum biomarker NTproBNP showed diagnostic effect of CHD and its cutoff value was 67 pg/ml, thus 30 of the patients in this study were NT-proBNP positive and 14 were negative. And it was found that NT-proBNP obviously enhanced the sensitivity of examinations whether analyzed alone or in combination with TET-ECG. More importantly, all the patients who were negative in both NT-proBNP and TET-ECG tests turned out to be CAG negative, which means that the combination of these two non-invasive examinations might take the place of invasive examination of CAG for CHD diagnosis. Further studies with more patients are warranted to validate the findings in this paper.

Topics: Biomarkers; Blood; Coronary Disease; Exercise Test; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments

Increased circulating amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic (NT-proBNP) levels are a marker of cardiac dysfunction but also associate with coronary heart disease and stroke. We aimed to investigate whether increased circulating NT-proBNP levels have additive prognostic value for first cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events beyond classic risk factors. In a community-based cohort of 5063 participants free of cardiovascular disease, aged > or =55 years, circulating NT-proBNP levels and cardiovascular risk factors were measured. Participants were followed for the occurrence of first major fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular event. A total of 420 participants developed a first cardiovascular event (108 fatal). After adjustment for classic risk factors, the hazard ratio for cardiovascular events was 2.32 (95% CI: 1.55 to 2.70) in men and 3.08 (95% CI: 1.91 to 3.74) in women for participants with NT-proBNP in the upper compared with the lowest tertile. Corresponding hazard ratios for coronary heart disease, heart failure, and ischemic stroke were 2.01 (95% CI: 1.14 to 2.59), 2.90 (95% CI: 1.33 to 4.34), and 2.06 (95% CI: 0.91 to 3.18) for men and 2.95 (95% CI: 1.30 to 4.55), 5.93 (95% CI: 2.04 to 11.2), and 2.07 (95% CI: 1.00 to 2.97) for women. Incorporation of NT-proBNP in the classic risk model significantly improved the C-statistic both in men and women and resulted in a net reclassification improvement of 9.2% (95% CI: 3.5% to 14.9%; P=0.001) in men and 13.3% (95% CI: 5.9% to 20.8%; P<0.001) in women. We conclude that, in an asymptomatic older population, NT-proBNP improves risk prediction not only of heart failure but also of cardiovascular disease in general beyond classic risk factors, resulting in a substantial reclassification of participants to a lower or higher risk category.

Topics: Aged; Blood Pressure; Brain Ischemia; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Failure; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Netherlands; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk Factors; Sex Distribution; Stroke

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) levels have been shown to be increased at baseline in patients undergoing surgical ventricular restoration (SVR) of the left ventricle. However, changes in the values of this marker in the early postoperative period and its prognostic significance remain less known in these patients. We evaluated 31 consecutive patients undergoing SVR who had NT-pro-BNP determined a day before SVR and from postoperative days 0 to 4. Major morbidity was defined as > or =1 of the following: ventilation >48 hours, stroke, acute renal failure, low cardiac output, reoperation, or mediastinitis. The association of preoperative NT-pro-BNP with perioperative outcomes was assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to test its discrimination power. Major morbidity occurred in 16 patients (52%) with only 1 death within 30 days of SVR. Mean preoperative NT-pro-BNP was 4.5-fold higher in patients with postoperative major morbidity than in those without it (3,022 +/- 2,981 vs 676 +/- 533 pg/ml, p = 0.007). On multivariate analysis, preoperative NT-pro-BNP was independently associated with major morbidity after adjusting for baseline confounding, particularly age, ejection fraction, and European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (odds ratio 1.002, 95% confidence interval 1.001 to 1.003, p = 0.032). Preoperative NT-pro-BNP had a high discrimination power on receiver operating characteristic analysis for major morbidity (area under the curve 0.84, sensitivity 68%, and specificity 88% for 1,304 pg/ml). Although NT-pro-BNP levels decreased after SVR in patients without major morbidity, their levels remained persistently increased in those with it. In conclusion, preoperative NT-pro-BNP determination may be of value in stratifying the risk for major morbidity after SVR.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Cohort Studies; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Postoperative Period; Predictive Value of Tests; Preoperative Period; Retrospective Studies; Stroke Volume; Treatment Outcome

Topics: Coronary Disease; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Heart Failure; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Morbidity; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Protein Precursors; Stroke; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome; United States

Cross-sectional studies have reported inverse associations of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) with the body mass index (BMI). We evaluated whether changes in the BMI are associated with changes in BNP. A nested prospective cohort study of a lifestyle intervention (low-fat, whole-foods diet, exercise, stress management, and social support) was conducted. BNP, BMI, and other biomarkers were measured at baseline and 3 months. A total of 131 subjects, 56 with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 75 at high risk, with > or =3 CHD risk factors and/or diabetes mellitus, were enrolled. At 3 months, the mean BMI had decreased (34.4 to 31.7 kg/m(2), p <0.001), BNP had increased (median 18 to 28 pg/ml, p <0.001), and low-density lipoprotein, C-reactive protein, apolipoprotein B (all p <0.002), and angina frequency (p = 0.017) and severity (p = 0.052) had decreased. The subjects' physical limitations had decreased and their physical functioning had improved (all p <0.001). The percentage of change in BNP was inversely associated with the percentage of change in insulin (r = -0.339, p = 0.005, n = 63 nondiabetics). It was also inversely associated with the percentage of change in BMI (r = -0.28, p = 0.002, n = 116), and this association remained significant (p = 0.029) in multiple regression analyses controlling for age, gender, CHD, diabetes mellitus, percentage of change in lifestyle index, and beta-blocker use. The metabolic changes related to adipose tissue lipolysis could explain these findings. In conclusion, BNP increased in subjects experiencing weight loss while following a lifestyle intervention, and angina pectoris, physical limitations, and other CHD risk factors decreased. Therefore, in this context, increasing BNP might not indicate worsening disease or a worsening prognosis. Thus, the proposed use of BNP in monitoring disease progression should take into account changes in the BMI during the same period.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Body Mass Index; California; Cohort Studies; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Complications; Female; Humans; Life Style; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pennsylvania; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; West Virginia

The clinical manifestations and risk factors for developing coronary artery abnormalities (CAA) in Kawasaki disease (KD) might differ depending on age.. From January 2001 to July 2007, 161 patients with an age younger than 1 year (younger group) and 60 patients with an age older than 5 years (older group) were diagnosed with KD at the Korea University Medical Center. Their medical records were reviewed retrospectively and the two groups were compared in terms of a number of variables commonly associated with the development of CAA, including clinical manifestations and laboratory findings.. While the overall incidence of KD-associated CAA in our hospital was 6.7%, CAA developed in 20 (12.4%) of the younger group and ten (16.7%) of the older group, respectively. The CAA (+) cases of the younger group had a longer duration of total fever (9.1 +/- 3.3 vs 6.3 +/- 1.9 days, p = 0.002) and showed fewer diagnostic symptoms (3.0 +/- 1.2 vs 4.3 +/- 1.1, p < 0.001) than the CAA (-) cases. The CAA (+) cases of the older group had a longer duration of total fever (14.1 +/- 10.4 vs 6.5 +/- 1.9 days, p = 0.045), especially with respect to post-intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG) fever (7.9 +/- 9.6 vs 1.1 +/- 0.8 days, p = 0.052), and had higher total white blood cell counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rates, C-reactive protein levels, total bilirubin levels, and Harada scores and lower serum albumin and sodium levels than the CAA (-) cases. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the factors that were associated significantly with the development of CAA were the number of total symptoms (OR = 0.494, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.281-0.871, p = 0.015) in the younger group and the duration of post-IVGG fever (OR = 1.958, 95% CI = 1.098-3.492, p = 0.023) and the Harada score (OR = 3.455, 95% CI = 1.012-11.796, p = 0.048) in the older group.. Incomplete clinical manifestations in the younger group and IVGG nonresponsiveness in the older group are associated with the development of KD-associated CAA. These age-specific characteristics could aid the customization of the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of KD, thereby helping to improve the outcome of this disease.

Topics: Age Distribution; Age Factors; Algorithms; Biomarkers; Blood Sedimentation; C-Reactive Protein; Child, Preschool; Coronary Aneurysm; Coronary Disease; Diagnosis, Differential; Electrocardiography; Female; gamma-Globulins; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Incidence; Infant; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome; Natriuretic Agents; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Predictive Value of Tests; Republic of Korea; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Failure; Treatment Outcome

Apoptosis plays an important role in the progression of heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to assess whether the pro-apoptotic molecules apoptosis-stimulating fragment (FAS, CD95/APO-1) and tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) predict event-free survival of HF patients.. We assayed soluble (s)FAS and sTRAIL levels in 351 patients with advanced HF. During the median follow-up time of 16 months, 175 patients (50%) experienced the composite endpoints: rehospitalization and death. The hazard increased with sFAS concentrations, with a hazard ratio of 2.3 comparing fourth and first quartiles. This association remained significant after adjustment for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and other risk factors in a Cox regression model (P = 0.014). Patients with high sFAS but low BNP had a comparable event-free survival rate with those with elevated BNP only (P = 0.78). Conversely, high sTRAIL concentrations were related to a better prognosis. Particularly, the risk of mortality dropped by 70% in the fourth quartile of sTRAIL (P = 0.001, multivariable Cox regression model).. sFAS is an independent risk predictor in advanced HF patients. It may be of particular value for the identification of high-risk patients in addition to BNP. Conversely, sTRAIL appears to be protective and could be an interesting therapeutic agent.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis of Variance; Apoptosis; Biomarkers; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Disease-Free Survival; fas Receptor; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand

This study aimed for a comprehensive evaluation of major depressive disorder (MDD) in stable coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, excluding all other potential psychiatric comorbidities, and including associations with cardiac biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), troponin T (TnT), and amino-terminal pro-B-type brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).. Cross-sectional study of a consecutive series of 72 stable CHD outpatients (n=30 with MDD, n=42 with no psychiatric disorder). Psychiatric diagnoses were established by using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), and psychiatric assessment was performed on Axis I, Axis III, Axis IV, and Axis V. Regression analyses were performed including CRP, TnT, and NT-proBNP as dependent variables, and MDD, demographics, and comorbid medical conditions as independent variables.. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed a significant association between MDD and CRP (beta=0.262, P=.02), excluding all other demographic and medical variables from the models, except age (beta=0.266, P=.02). In addition, the results described a significant relationship between type II diabetes mellitus and TnT (beta=0.267, P=.02), and age and NT-proBNP levels (beta=0.374, P=.001).. Major depressive disorder was associated with elevated CRP levels in a consecutive series of stable CHD patients.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depressive Disorder, Major; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Troponin

Multiple coronary artery occlusive disease (multiple CAOD) is the most fatal and frequently observed coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetes patients, but no simple, non-invasive screening tool is available yet. The aim of this study is to evaluate the arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetes patients using brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), to demonstrate the correlation between arterial stiffness and multiple CAOD, and to suggest the cutoff point of baPWV for predicting multiple CAOD in Korean type 2 diabetes patients. One hundred and eighty-one diabetes and 262 non-diabetes patients were enrolled in the study. Routine anthropometric and serologic data were collected. baPWV was measured the day before coronary angiography, and the severity of CAOD was assessed with Gensini score after angiography. baPWV and Gensini score were significantly increased in diabetes patients and Gensini score had a positive correlation with baPWV. Subjects in the highest tertile of baPWV showed odds ratio of 3.06 for multiple CAOD compared to the lowest tertile. In ROC curve, baPWV at 1635 cm/s showed 73% sensitivity and 75% specificity with AUC 0.76 in diabetes patients in detecting multiple CAOD. Therefore, baPWV may be utilized a screening tool for predicting multiple CAOD, especially in type 2 diabetes patients.

Topics: Aged; Ankle; Ankle Brachial Index; Arterial Occlusive Diseases; Blood Pressure; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diabetic Angiopathies; Female; Humans; Korea; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pulse; Sensitivity and Specificity

We investigated whether a multiple biomarkers strategy that includes plasma levels of endothelium-derived microparticles (EMP), reflecting endothelial dysfunction, can improve prediction of future cardiovascular events in patients at high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD).. Detailed risk stratification using multiple biomarkers can provide clinical benefits in high-risk patients. Endothelial dysfunction has been described as a predictor of cardiovascular complications.. We measured 3 biomarkers in 488 consecutive patients with various CHD risks: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and EMP. We followed 387 stable patients at high risk for CHD and examined future cardiovascular events.. During a mean follow-up of 36 months, 55 patients developed cardiovascular events. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis adjusted for established risk factors identified age, BNP, hsCRP, and EMP as significant and independent predictors of future cardiovascular events (age: hazard ratio [HR]: 1.042, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.007 to 1.080, p = 0.02; BNP: HR: 1.242, 95% CI: 1.004 to 1.536, p = 0.046; hsCRP: HR: 1.468, 95% CI: 1.150 to 1.875, p = 0.002; EMP: HR: 1.345, 95% CI: 1.094 to 1.652, p = 0.005). The C statistics for cardiovascular events increased when each biomarker or combinations of biomarkers were added to the Framingham risk model (C statistics: Framingham risk model alone 0.636, Framingham risk + BNP 0.695, Framingham risk + hsCRP 0.696, Framingham risk + EMP 0.682, and Framingham risk + BNP + hsCRP + EMP 0.763).. The assessment of endothelial dysfunction by plasma levels of EMP can independently predict future cardiovascular events in patients at high risk for CHD. A multiple biomarkers strategy that includes endothelial dysfunction assessed by EMP can identify patients vulnerable to cardiovascular disease. (University Hospital Medical Information Network number: UMIN000000876).

Topics: Antigens, CD; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Cadherins; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cell-Derived Microparticles; Coronary Disease; Endothelium, Vascular; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk Assessment

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is predictive of inducible ischemia in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Whether N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) has a comparable strength of association with ischemia is uncertain.. Resting NT-proBNP levels are associated with inducible ischemia in patients with stable CHD.. We performed a cross-sectional study of 901 outpatients with stable CHD. NT-proBNP was measured in all patients prior to exercise treadmill testing and stress echocardiography. In addition, plasma BNP was measured in a subset of 355 participants. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of NT-proBNP and BNP quartiles with inducible ischemia.. Inducible ischemia was found in 216 (24%) patients. The proportion with inducible ischemia ranged from 42% (95/225) in the highest quartile of NT-proBNP levels (>410 pg/ml) to 9% (21/226) in the lowest quartile (0-72 pg/ml). The highest quartile had a 7-fold greater odds of inducible ischemia than the lowest quartile (odds ratio [OR]: 7.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.2-12; P < 0.0001). This association remained robust after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, left ventricular ejection fraction, and diastolic dysfunction (OR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.4-9.1; P = 0.009). In the subgroup with measurements of both NT-proBNP and BNP, both natriuretic peptides were predictive of ischemia. The multivariable-adjusted c-statistics for inducible ischemia were 0.71 for NT-proBNP and 0.62 for BNP (entered as continuous variables).. Resting NT-proBNP levels are independently associated with inducible ischemia in outpatients with stable CHD. Baseline elevations of natriuretic peptide may indicate subclinical inducible ischemia in high risk patients with CHD.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Echocardiography, Stress; Exercise Test; Female; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Odds Ratio; Outpatients; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; United States; Up-Regulation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs frequently after coronary bypass grafting and valve operations. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been shown to predict recurrence of AF in congestive heart failure. It is a potential biomarker for preoperative risk stratification for development of AF in at-risk patients.. A total of 398 consecutive patients were prospectively evaluated for new-onset AF after heart operations. Patients with a history of AF and presence of permanent pacemaker were excluded. BNP levels were measured before and immediately after the operation.. AF occurred in 20%. AF was more likely to develop in patients who were older, who underwent valve operations, had a lower ejection fraction, and a larger left atrial size. Preoperative exposure to statins (62% vs 43%, p < 0.01) and angiotensin inhibitors (60% vs 45%, p = 0.02) was more common in patients without AF. BNP values were insignificantly higher preoperatively (361 vs 302 mg/dL, p = 0.3) and postoperatively (312 vs. 229 mg/dL, p = 0.15) in patients with AF. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that older age (odds ratio [OR], 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 5.6), lower ejection fraction (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.3), larger left atrial size (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.9 to 4.9), and nonuse of angiotensin inhibitors (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.8) were independently associated with AF.. This study does not support use of BNP for prediction of AF. Age, low ejection fraction, large left atrial size, and nonuse of angiotensin blocking agents were found to be significant predictors of AF development.

Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Atrial Fibrillation; Cardiac Output, Low; Comorbidity; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Odds Ratio; Postoperative Complications; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors

Topics: Age Factors; Amiodarone; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Atrial Fibrillation; Cardiac Output, Low; Comorbidity; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Postoperative Complications; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has prognostic implications in patients with acute and chronic cardiac symptoms. Its prognostic role in asymptomatic patients with evidence of subclinical disease remains unclear. The population of this study included 2,458 asymptomatic adults (47% women) with an average Framingham risk score of 8.8 +/- 7% who underwent computed tomographic evaluation of coronary artery calcium (CAC). BNP levels were measured using the Triage CardioProfilER panel method. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate time to a cardiovascular (CV) event (n = 84; 16 deaths, 12 myocardial infarctions, 8 cerebrovascular accidents or transient ischemic attacks, and 48 diagnoses of incident symptomatic coronary disease). Relative risk was calculated. The median follow-up time was 3.9 years (25th and 75th percentiles 2.9 and 4.0). The relative hazard for a CV event ranged from 2.2 to 7.5 for BNP values of 40 to 99.9 and > or =100 pg/ml (p <0.0001) compared to BNP <40 pg/ml. Similarly, CAC score was also highly predictive of CV events, with elevated hazard ratios of 2.8- to 48.7-fold for scores of 11 to 100 to > or =1,000 (p <0.0001) compared to no CAC. In a stepwise model, BNP was the second greatest estimator of CV outcomes (p = 0.016) after CAC (p <0.0001), even in models that included blood pressure and age. Hypertension, age > or =65 years, and CAC contained 28.4%, 40.7%, and 56.8%, respectively, of BNP risk. The combination of BNP > or =100 pg/ml and CAC score > or =400 identified 52.4% and 35.7% of CV events in patients with hypertension and in elderly patients beyond the Framingham risk score. In conclusion, BNP and CAC are independently predictive of CV events.

Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Calcinosis; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Artery Disease; Coronary Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hyperlipidemias; Hypertension; Ischemic Attack, Transient; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Registries; Risk Assessment; Stroke; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Topics: Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Polymorphism, Genetic; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Predictive Value of Tests; Treatment Outcome

To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)and atrium natriuretic peptide(ANP)in chronic congestive heart failure.. One hundred and eighteen coronary heart disease patients were enrolled in the study. Among them 78 patients were accompanied by heart failure and 40 with no heart failure. Plasma NT-proBNP was determined with Elecsys Chemiluminescence Immunoassay method, and plasma ANP was determined with radioimmunoassay method.The results were compared with those of 40 healthy individuals. All patients were followed up accordingly.. Compared with patients with no heart failure and healthy individuals, the patients with heart failure had a higher plasma NT-proBNP and ANP contents(P<0.05). Cardiac function grade IV patients had a significantly higher plasma NT-proBNP than cardiac function grade II and III patients, and their plasma ANP level was significanthy higher than that of cardiac function grade III patients, but there was no significantly difference in ANP content between cardiac function grade IV and II.The diagnostic sensitivity of NT-proBNP and ANP was 91.25% and 73.46%, respectively. The diagnostic specificity of NT-proBNP and ANP was 90.25%, 80.33%, respectively. In the heart failure group, it was found that there was no significant difference in the plasma NT-proBNP and ANP between the deaths and surviving patients.. The diagnostic value of NT-proBNP in chronic heart failure is higher than that of ANP. According to our follow- up result, the plasma NT-proBNP and ANP can not be relied up on to predict short -term cardiogenic death in heart failure.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Chronic Disease; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Radioimmunoassay

In patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) QRS prolongation is a frequent finding and is related to increased morbidity and mortality. It is not clear if prolonged QRS in CHF of ischaemic origin (CAD) represents the same severity of the syndrome as in non-ischaemic (non-CAD) cardiomyopathy.. To assess the relationship between QRS duration and BNP levels, diastolic function and peak VO2 in patients with CAD CHF and non-CAD CHF.. In 70 patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <45% [35 with left bundle branch block (LBBB)] echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise test and standard ECG were performed as well as BNP level was measured.. Peak VO2 was significantly lower, BNP level higher in patients with LBBB than those without LBBB. In the non-CAD CHF peak VO2 was significantly lower, whereas BNP levels and restrictive filling pattern prevalence higher in the group with LBBB than without LBBB, which was not seen in the CAD CHF group. A significant correlation between peak VO2 and BNP levels (r=-0.31; p=0.02), QRS duration (r=-0.27; p=0.02), and diastolic function parameter - DTE (r=0.28; p=0.02) was found. Peak VO2 was significantly lower in the CAD CHF than in non-CAD CHF. In multivariate regression analysis, LVEF (r=-0.32; p=0.012) and LVEDD (r=0.30; p=0.015) were independently associated with QRS duration.. In patients with CHF, QRS duration is independently related to LVEF and LVEDD. It seems that prolonged QRS may be a better predictor of more advanced CHF in patients with non-ischaemic rather than ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Topics: Aged; Bundle-Branch Block; Chronic Disease; Coronary Disease; Diastole; Echocardiography; Electrocardiography; Exercise Test; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Stroke Volume

Exertional change in brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has recently been proposed as a biomarker of myocardial ischemia. However, in patients with abnormal left ventricular (LV) filling, BNP is frequently increased. Therefore, we studied the relationship of exertional changes in atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) with resting and exercise-induced changes of LV systolic function and filling pattern.. LV function at rest and peak exercise was assessed in 140 patients (mean age 65 years, 78 men) during symptom-limited exercise echocardiography for evaluation of suspected coronary artery disease. ANP and BNP were measured at rest and 5 min after exercise.. ANP and BNP increased with exercise. The increase in BNP was significantly greater in the 65 patients with than in the 76 patients without ischemia [14.7 pg/ml (5.7-19.6) vs. 4.9 pg/ml (2.1-9.2), p<0.0001]; there was no difference in increase of ANP [340 pg/ml (176-729) vs. 424 pg/ml (249-648), p=0.54]. The exertional rise in BNP was also greater in patients with abnormal LV filling at rest [10.5 pg/ml (4.9-19.6) vs. 4.1 pg/ml (2.0-6.7), p<0.0001]. By multivariate linear regression, exertional change in wall motion score index (beta=0.23, p<0.001), baseline BNP (beta=0.71, p<0.001), abnormal LV filling pattern (beta=0.24, p<0.001) and age (beta=-0.15, p=0.02) were predictors of change in BNP.. In patients with suspected coronary artery disease, exertional changes of BNP are related not only to ischemia, but also to the LV filling pattern at rest.

Topics: Aged; Analysis of Variance; Angina Pectoris; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Coronary Disease; Echocardiography, Stress; Exercise Tolerance; Female; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Predictive Value of Tests; Probability; Reference Values; Sensitivity and Specificity; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function, Left

Recent studies suggest that natriuretic peptides are potential biomarkers for myocardial ischemia. However, little is known about the value of NT-proBNP as a predictor of repeat revascularization (RR) at follow-up angiography in patients with normal LV systolic function.. We collected and analyzed the clinical and angiographic data from 445 consecutive patients (62.5+/-10.1 years; 73% males) who showed normal LV systolic function and no regional wall motion abnormalities on transthoracic echocardiogram performed at baseline and follow-up angiography.. Overall, NT-proBNP level on admission for follow-up angiography was significantly higher in patients with RR (n=55) than those without RR (n=390) [92.4 (47.5-178.5) pg/ml vs. 54.8 (30.6-93.1) pg/ml, P<0.001]. In asymptomatic patients, NT-proBNP did not show significant difference between patients with RR and those without RR (P=0.42). An elevated NT-proBNP level, especially in symptomatic patients (n=77) (>87.5 pg/ml as an optimal cut off value) was a strong independent predictor for RR at follow-up angiography (OR, 12.3; 95% CI, 3.25-46.2; P=0.001). NT-proBNP (>122.9 pg/ml) showed high specificity (85.9%) and negative predictive value (91.0%) for predicting RR in overall patients. However, NT-proBNP (>97.0 pg/ml) showed low sensitivity (49.1%) and positive predictive value (23.5%). The areas under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve in predicting RR in overall patients and symptomatic patients were 0.648 (95% CI; 0.564-0.732, P<0.001) and 0.768 (95% CI; 0.653-0.884, P<0.001), respectively.. Our data show that NT-proBNP level at follow-up is a strong independent predictor for RR especially in symptomatic patients. Although routine measurement may be not useful for predict RR, NT-proBNP may help to identify patients with low risk of repeat revascularization.

Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Biomarkers; Cohort Studies; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Retreatment; Risk Assessment; ROC Curve; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Factors; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Remodeling

We compared the diagnostic performance of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with a newly developed assay for the midregional part of pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) concerning the detection of impaired left ventricular ejection function (LVEF) among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).. Plasma levels of MR-proANP and NT-proBNP were determined in 102 consecutive patients with a history of ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Plasma levels of both markers were measured during a mean follow-up period of 687 days after acute myocardial infarction. Univariate analyses revealed inverse correlations between MR-proANP levels and LVEF (r=-0.39; p<0.001), NT-proBNP levels and LVEF (r=-0.39; p<0.001) and a positive correlation between MR-proANP and NT-proBNP (r=0.75; p<0.001). After adjustment for traditional risk factors, MR-proANP was the strongest predictor for LVEF (p=0.001) in multivariate analysis, being even superior to NT-proBNP. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) indicated moderate performance (AUC=0.73; p<0.01) of MR-proANP regarding the detection of a reduced LVEF<50%. The AUC of NT-proBNP for detection of impaired LVEF<50% was 0.68 (p=0.019). The negative predictive values of both markers were 86% for MR-proANP at a cut-off >135 pmol/L and NT-proBNP at a cut-off >560 pmol/L. At these cut-offs, the specificity of MR-proANP was 90%, and the specificity of NT-proBNP was 84%.. MR-proANP is a useful indicator for the exclusion of a preserved left ventricular function in patients with coronary artery disease. The study demonstrates that the diagnostic performance of MR-proANP is comparable to the "gold standard" NT-proBNP.

Topics: Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Echocardiography; Female; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Acute coronary syndromes in the absence of ST-segment elevation (NSTE-ACS) are a heterogeneous entity in which early risk stratification is essential. Diastolic dysfunction is precocious and associated with poor prognosis. BNP has been recognized as a biochemical marker of ventricular dysfunction and ischemia.. To investigate if there is correlation of NT pro-BNP levels with diastolic dysfunction in patients with NSTE-ACS.. Fifty-two patients with NSTE-ACS admitted to the coronary unit were included. NT-pro brain natriuretic hormone (BNP) levels and a Doppler echocardiogram were obtained in all and systolic and diastolic functions were analyzed. Their Doppler indexes were compared with those of 53 age- and sex-matched controls, without heart failure symptoms and with normal ejection fraction (EF) and normal NT-pro BNP levels.. Twenty-four patients (46%) with unstable angina and 28 patients (54%) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were included. Mean EF was 55.9 +/- 10.7% and mean NT-pro BNP level was 835 +/- 989 pg/ml. No mitral or pulmonary venous flow parameters of diastolic function correlated with NT-pro BNP levels. E'/A' correlated with NT-pro BNP level in univariate analysis but, in a multivariate analysis, only the EF and the E' showed negative correlation with the peptide level (r =-0.33, P = 0.024 and r =-0.29, P = 0.045, respectively). Thirteen patients presented with stage II diastolic dysfunction but the NT-pro BNP level in these patients did not differ from the level in stage I patients.. NT-pro BNP levels are elevated in acute coronary syndromes, even in the absence of significant necrosis. Of all echocardiographic parameters investigated, only E' and the EF correlated with the levels of NT-pro BNP in this group of patients.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; Blood Flow Velocity; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diastole; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Immunoassay; Male; Middle Aged; Mitral Valve; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Protein Precursors; Severity of Illness Index; Syndrome; Ventricular Function, Left

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has diagnostic and prognostic value in a wide variety of cardiac disorders including heart failure and acute coronary syndromes. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of baseline and post-procedural BNP levels in predicting major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).. Blood samples for BNP were obtained before, 1 hour and 24 hours after PCI of stable CAD patients who underwent elective PCI for de novo lesions in native coronary arteries. Patients were followed for 12 months for the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization with angina or repeat revascularization.. Among the 95 patients with one-year follow-up data 22 had MACE. Baseline clinical and procedural characteristics of patients with and without MACE were similar. Only EF was significantly lower (P < 0.001) and complex lesion type was significantly more common in patients with MACE (P = 0.012). All measured plasma BNP levels were significantly higher in patients with MACE compared to those free of MACE (baseline P < 0.001, 1st hour P = 0.001 and 24th hour P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified the EF (P = 0.026) and 24th hour BNP (P = 0.002) as independent predictors of MACE. If baseline or post-PCI 1st hour BNP levels were put into analysis instead of post-PCI 24th hour BNP the predictive value of BNP lost its significance (both P > 0.05).. Post-PCI 24th hour BNP is an independent predictor of MACE during 12 months of follow-up after elective successful PCI.

Topics: Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Diseases; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Stents

To detect the changes in serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in patients with cardiovascular diseases and explore its clinical significance.. Serum NT-proBNP concentrations were measured by electrochemiluminescent immunoassay (ECLIA) in 460 patients with cardiovascular diseases and in 50 normal controls, and echocardiographic examination was performed to determine the left ventricular ejection function (LVEF). Analysis of NT-proBNP was performed for its correlation to New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classifications LVEF, and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases.. The serum LgNT-proBNP concentrations was 3.74 in patients with cardiovascular diseases, significantly higher than that of normal controls (1.42, P<0.001). NT-proBNP concentrations also varied significantly among patients with different cardiovascular diseases as shown by one-way ANOVA analysis (F=17.761, P<0.001). The NT-proBNP levels increased with the severity of heart failure according to NYHA functional classifications (P<0.001), and varied significantly in patients suffering different cardiovascular diseases with the same NYHA functional class. Multivariable regression analysis indicated there were significant correlations of NT-proBNP levels with the patients' age (r=0.152, P<0.001), NYHA functional classifications (r=0.725, P<0.001), LVEF (r=-0.634, P<0.001), and clinica outcomes (r=-0.581, P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis identified NT-proBNP level as a strong indicator for cardiovascular events (HR=2.763, P<0.01) with close correlation to the treatment results.. Serum NT-proBNP level varies significantly with the severity of heart failure and can be indicative of the patients' cardiac function in close correlation to the clinical prognosis, but its value for diagnostic stratification of cardiovascular diseases awaits further investigation.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Immunoassay; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function; Young Adult

The utility of N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) measurement as a prognostic marker during nonurgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been suggested in several studies. The comparative prognostic values between NT-proBNP levels and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the nonurgent PCI setting are unclear.. CREDO was a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial comparing 2 clopidogrel regimens before and after nonurgent PCI. Baseline NT-proBNP levels and LVEF were measured in 1468 subjects using the Roche Elecsys proBNP assay (Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN), and the 1-year combined end point of death/myocardial infarction (MI)/stroke was analyzed according to NT-proBNP quartiles in impaired and preserved LVEF.. In this patient cohort (mean age 61.6 +/- 10 years, 22% with LVEF < 50%), the median NT-proBNP level was 131 pg/mL. Increasing quartiles of NT-proBNP were associated with a higher rate of death, MI, and the combined end point (but not stroke) at 1 year, including those with LVEF > or = 50% (P < .001 for trend). This prognostic power for death and MI remained robust even when adjusted for other clinical or biochemical markers including cardiac troponin, creatinine clearance, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hazard ratio 1.249, P = .006). Despite its robust prognostic value, baseline NT-proBNP levels did not identify patients with enhanced benefit from pre-procedural and prolonged clopidogrel therapy.. In patients undergoing a nonurgent PCI, NT-proBNP levels may provide important prognostic value for death and MI, even in patients with preserved cardiac function, However, NT-proBNP levels were unable to identify patients with enhanced benefit from pre-procedural and prolonged clopidogrel therapy.

Topics: Aged; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Clopidogrel; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Multivariate Analysis; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Prognosis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Risk Assessment; Stroke Volume; Survival Analysis; Ticlopidine

Identification of individuals at high risk for cardiovascular events is important for the optimal use of primary and secondary prevention measures.. To determine whether plasma levels of amino terminal fragment of the prohormone brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predict cardiovascular events or death independent of other available prognostic tests.. Prospective cohort study (2000-2002) of 987 individuals in California with stable coronary heart disease in the Heart and Soul Study, who were followed up for a mean of 3.7 (range, 0.1-5.3) years.. The association of baseline NT-proBNP levels with death or cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure). Traditional clinical risk factors, echocardiographic measures, ischemia, other biomarkers, and New York Heart Association classification were adjusted for to determine whether NT-proBNP levels were independent of other prognostic factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the incremental prognostic value of adding NT-proBNP level to these other measures.. A total of 256 participants (26.2%) had a cardiovascular event or died. Each increasing quartile of NT-proBNP level (range of quartile 1, 8.06-73.95 pg/mL; quartile 2, 74-174.5 pg/mL; quartile 3, 175.1-459 pg/mL; quartile 4, > or =460 pg/mL) was associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular events or death, ranging from 23 of 247 (annual event rate, 2.6%) in the lowest quartile to 134 of 246 (annual event rate, 19.6%) in the highest quartile (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] for quartile 4 vs quartile 1, 7.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0-12.1; P<.001). Each SD increase in log NT-proBNP level (1.3 pg/mL) was associated with a 2.3-fold increased rate of adverse cardiovascular outcomes (unadjusted HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 2.0-2.6; P<.001), and this association persisted after adjustment for all of the other prognostic measures (adjusted HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.2; P<.001). The addition of NT-proBNP level to standard clinical assessment and complete echocardiographic parameters significantly improved the area under the ROC curves for predicting subsequent adverse cardiovascular outcomes (0.80 for clinical risk factors and echocardiographic parameters plus log NT-proBNP vs 0.76 for clinical risk factors and echocardiographic parameters only; P = .006).. Elevated levels of NT-proBNP predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, independent of other prognostic markers, and identify at-risk individuals even in the absence of systolic or diastolic dysfunction by echocardiography. Level of NT-proBNP may help guide risk stratification of high-risk individuals, such as those with coronary heart disease.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cohort Studies; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Function Tests; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment

Elevated levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been reported in association with exercise-induced ischemia. Data regarding BNP as a marker of ischemia during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) are not conclusive. This study was designed to evaluate changes in BNP during DSE. A total of 74 patients referred to rule out ischemia by DSE were enrolled in the study. All patients had DSE using standard protocol. Of 74 patients enrolled, 6 were excluded because of nondiagnostic tests. Of the remaining 68 patients, 15 had positive DSE and 53 were negative for ischemia. The BNP levels (mean +/- SD) in the patients without ischemia were 42.5 pg/mL (+/-SD 47.6) at baseline and 41.9 pg/mL (+/-SD 48.9) at peak, and the measurements in the patients with ischemia were 90 pg/mL (+/-SD 171.7) at baseline and 88 pg/mL (+/-SD 149.2) at peak. BNP levels do not change during DSE with or without evidence of ischemia.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Coronary Disease; Echocardiography, Stress; Female; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prospective Studies; Reference Values; Risk Assessment; Sensitivity and Specificity; Statistics, Nonparametric

N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) testing is useful for diagnosing acute decompensated heart failure. Whether NT-proBNP can be used to detect ventricular dysfunction in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) and no history of heart failure is unknown.. We measured NT-proBNP levels and performed transthoracic echocardiography in 815 participants from the Heart and Soul Study, who had stable CHD and no history of heart failure. We hypothesized that NT-proBNP concentrations lower than 100 pg/mL would rule out ventricular dysfunction and concentrations higher than 500 pg/mL would identify ventricular dysfunction. We calculated sensitivities, specificities, likelihood ratios, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for NT-proBNP as a case-finding instrument for systolic and diastolic dysfunction.. Of the 815 participants with no history of heart failure, 68 (8%) had systolic dysfunction defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction of 50% or lower. Of the 730 participants for whom the presence or absence of diastolic dysfunction could be determined, 78 (11%) had diastolic dysfunction defined as a pseudonormal or restrictive filling pattern. The overall area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detecting systolic or diastolic dysfunction was 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.82). Likelihood ratios were 0.28 for NT-proBNP concentrations lower than 100 pg/mL, 0.95 for concentrations between 100 and 500 pg/mL, and 4.1 for concentrations higher than 500 pg/mL. A test result lower than 100 pg/mL reduced the probability of ventricular dysfunction from a pretest probability of 18% to a posttest probability of 6%. A test result higher than 500 pg/mL increased the probability of ventricular dysfunction from a pretest probability of 18% to a posttest probability of 47%. A test result between 100 and 500 pg/mL did not change the probability of ventricular dysfunction.. In patients with stable CHD and no history of heart failure, NT-proBNP levels lower than 100 pg/mL effectively rule out ventricular dysfunction, with a negative likelihood ratio of 0.28.

Topics: Aged; Coronary Disease; Echocardiography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Immunoassay; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Protein Precursors; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Acute coronary syndrome is an inflammatory disease, during which the complement cascade is activated. We assessed the complement C3 and C4 concentration ratio (C3/C4 ratio) in serum as a potential measurement to predict cardiovascular attacks. Patients with acute coronary syndrome (n=148) were followed after an initial attack for subsequent ischemic cardiovascular events (composite end point of death, myocardial infarction, recurrent unstable angina, or stroke). During the follow-up period (average 555 days), 44 patients met an end point. Blood samples were taken at hospitalization, 1 week, 3 months, and 1 year after hospital admission. Serum complement C3 and C4 concentrations and the C3/C4 ratio were analyzed. Patients with an end point had, throughout the follow-up period, a higher C3/C4 ratio than patients without these end points (repeated measures analysis of variance, p=0.007). When all traditional cardiovascular risk factors and other potential confounding factors were included in a Cox multivariate logistic regression survival analysis, the C3/C4 ratio emerged as the novel risk factor for any new cardiovascular event (odds ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.63, p=0.007). When the C3/C4 ratio was divided into 4 quartiles, 24% in quartiles 1 and 2 (lowest) and 48% in quartile 4 (highest) had end points during follow-up (odds ratio 3.04, 95% confidence interval 1.27 to 7.29, p=0.01). In conclusion, increased serum C3/C4 ratio is a readily available and novel marker for recurrent cardiovascular events in acute coronary syndrome. The relative increase in serum C3 protein and decrease in C4 protein could explain changes in the C3/C4 ratio.

Topics: Aged; Alleles; Analysis of Variance; Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; Cerebral Infarction; Complement C3; Complement C4; Coronary Disease; Female; Finland; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Inflammation Mediators; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Proportional Hazards Models; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Recurrence; Risk Factors; Sensitivity and Specificity; Survival Analysis; Syndrome

The level of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) is a strong predictor of mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome and may be a strong prognostic marker in patients with chronic coronary artery disease. We investigated whether NT-pro-BNP could predict in-stent restenosis (ISR) in asymptomatic patients with preserved left ventricular (LV) systolic function who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. We measured serum NT-pro-BNP levels in 249 patients (61 +/- 9 years of age; 73% men) with preserved LV systolic function (ejection fraction >50%) who underwent follow-up coronary angiography. Initial diagnoses were stable angina in 50 (20%), unstable angina in 133 (53%), and myocardial infarction in 66 (27%). Baseline characteristics between groups with ISR (n = 92) and without ISR (n = 157) were similar. The level of NT-pro-BNP was higher in patients with ISR than in those without ISR (222 +/- 327 vs 94 +/- 136 pg/ml, p = 0.001). In the ISR group, NT-pro-BNP level was higher in patients with left anterior descending coronary artery ISR (n = 53, 312 +/- 479 pg/ml) than in those with left circumflex coronary artery ISR (n = 19, 115 +/- 98 pg/ml, p = 0.018). At the standard cutoff of >200 pg/ml, a high NT-pro-BNP level indicated a high probability of ISR (odds ratio 2.18, 95% confidence interval 1.0 to 4.5, p = 0.038). In multivariate analysis, NT-pro-BNP level was an independent predictor for ISR. In conclusion, NT-pro-BNP could be a predictor of ISR in asymptomatic patients with preserved LV systolic function.

Topics: Angina Pectoris; Angina, Unstable; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Biomarkers; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Coronary Restenosis; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Forecasting; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prospective Studies; Protein Precursors; Stents; Stroke Volume; Survival Rate; Troponin I; Ventricular Function, Left

There is an intimate relationship between activation of the sympathetic nervous system and myocardial ischemia. This study examined whether plasma levels of dopamine, a precursor of norepinephrine, may provide prognostic information in coronary artery disease (CAD).. Plasma levels of free dopamine were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in 210 consecutive patients with stable CAD. The patients were prospectively followed up for a period of < or =36 months until occurrence of a clinical coronary event. Coronary events occurred in 37 patients during follow-up. In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, higher dopamine levels (> or =30 pg/ml) resulted in a higher event probability (p<0.01). Multivariate Cox hazards analysis showed that higher dopamine levels were a significant and independent risk factor for future coronary events (hazard ratio 3.3, 95% confidence interval 1.3-8.1, p<0.01). Furthermore, patients with higher dopamine levels had lower left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and higher levels of brain natriuretic peptide, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen than those with lower dopamine levels.. Plasma levels of free dopamine are increased in association with a decrease in LV function and an increase in inflammatory risk markers. Higher free dopamine levels are an independent risk factor for future coronary events in CAD patients.

Topics: Aged; C-Reactive Protein; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Coronary Artery Disease; Coronary Disease; Dopamine; Female; Fibrinogen; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Incidence; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Neurotransmitter Agents; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function, Left

Anaemia is associated with elevated levels of natriuretic peptides. Whether the association of anaemia with natriuretic peptides is independent of other cardiovascular risk factors is unclear.. This was a cross-sectional study of 809 ambulatory patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and no history of heart failure (HF). We evaluated the extent to which the relationship between haemoglobin and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was explained by differences in cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation, and kidney dysfunction.. Of the 809 participants, 189 (23%) had anaemia (haemoglobin <13 g/dL). Haemoglobin (as a continuous variable) was inversely associated with log NT-proBNP (beta coefficient -.28, p<.0001). This association was considerably attenuated after accounting for cardiovascular risk factors, C-reactive protein, and kidney dysfunction. However, haemoglobin remained independently associated with log NT-proBNP even after adjustment for these variables (beta coefficient -.11, p=0.0003). Each 1 g/dL decrease in haemoglobin was associated with a 20% greater odds of having NT-proBNP in the highest quartile.. The relationship between anaemia and NT-proBNP is largely explained by differences in cardiovascular risk factors, ventricular function, myocardial ischaemia, inflammation, and kidney function. Nonetheless, haemoglobin appears to be inversely associated with NT-proBNP even after adjustment for these risk factors.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anemia; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Hemoglobins; Humans; Inflammation; Kidney Diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is an established biomarker for the differentiation of acute dyspnoea in the emergency department. However, evidence for BNP testing in outpatients is less strong. BNP is not a global test to detect cardiac abnormalities and is only helpful in a few clearly defined clinical settings. Similarly to its use in emergency department patients, BNP is useful in outpatients presenting with dyspnoea to estimate the likelihood of heart failure as the cause of dyspnoea. However, BNP does not provide any reliable information on the underlying cardiac pathology, and in virtually all cases additional examinations are required (primarily echocardiography). In addition, BNP is helpful for risk stratification in patients with heart failure, coronary artery disease and pulmonary artery hypertension.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Ambulatory Care; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Diagnosis, Differential; Dyspnea; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

The ability of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) to predict mortality in various subsets of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is not known. The aim of present study was to investigate the ability of NT-pro-BNP to predict mortality in various subsets of patients with CAD. The study included 1,552 consecutive patients with angiographically proven CAD. Based on receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, the best NT-pro-BNP level for mortality prediction was 721 ng/L (sensitivity 71.3%, specificity 71.3%). Patients were divided into 2 groups: the group with NT-pro-BNP level < or =721 ng/L (1,034 patients) and the group with NT-pro-BNP level >721 ng/L (518 patients). The primary end point of the study was mortality. The median follow-up was 3.6 years (interquartile range 3.3 to 4.6). In total there were 171 deaths: 49 deaths in the group with NT-pro-BNP < or =721 ng/L and 122 deaths in the group with NT-pro-BNP >721 ng/L (mortality estimates 6.6% vs 29.5%, odds ratio 5.2; 95% confidence intervals 3.9 to 7.0, p <0.001). In 28 subsets of patients, NT-pro-BNP level predicted mortality with odds ratio varying from 2.8 to 7.5. In conclusion, NT-pro-BNP is a reliable predictive marker of mortality in all subsets of patients with CAD.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Electrocardiography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Germany; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; Odds Ratio; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Protein Precursors; Retrospective Studies; ROC Curve; Survival Rate; Time Factors

Accurate risk stratification soon after admission for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is vital in guiding management. Clinical risk scores and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) can predict mortality and re-infarction in ACS, but it is unknown whether BNP provides prognostic information over and above that of the clinical risk scores.. 142 unselected patients with ACS were prospectively studied. BNP was measured and patients were stratified according to BNP and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score. In-hospital and 30-day events were characterised.. 20.4% of ACS subjects had ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI), 14.1%, non-ST elevation MI and 65.5% unstable angina. Elevated BNP predicted in-hospital and 30-day heart failure (p<0.01), and the risk of in-hospital recurrent ACS (p<0.05). Increasing GRACE score predicted in-hospital recurrent ACS (p<0.05), heart failure (p<0.001), arrhythmias (p<0.05) and angioplasty (p<0.05). GRACE score also predicted 30-day heart failure (p<0.05). In contrast, the predictive accuracy of troponin elevation was less robust.. BNP and the GRACE score predict complementary outcomes from ACS, but both predicted heart failure. BNP is a powerful indicator of heart failure in patients with ACS and provides prognostic information above and beyond conventional biomarkers and risk scores.

Topics: Aged; Angina, Unstable; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Prospective Studies

The assessment of chest pain relies on clinical assessment and markers of cell necrosis such as Troponin T (TnT). B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is also raised in myocardial ischaemia and therefore may be useful in deciding if acute chest pain is of cardiac origin or not.. To investigate the role of BNP in the assessment of unselected patients presenting with acute chest pain.. A prospective observational study of 100 patients presenting with chest pain to the Acute Medical Admissions Unit was carried out. All patients had BNP and TnT levels measured. The primary outcome was categorization of chest pain as cardiac or non-cardiac. This was determined by the discharge diagnosis. BNP cutoffs were derived from a receiver operated characteristic (ROC) curve. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive accuracy (PPA) and negative predictive accuracy (NPA) were all calculated for BNP, TnT and for the composite of BNP and TnT.. Mean BNP in patients with cardiac chest pain was significantly greater than mean BNP for patients with non-cardiac chest pain (P

Topics: Adult; Aged; Biomarkers; Chest Pain; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Patient Discharge; Pilot Projects; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; ROC Curve; Sensitivity and Specificity; Troponin T

Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels show prognostic significance in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes, but the underlying pathophysiology remains unclear.. Two hundred and eighteen consecutive patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes were studied retrospectively. We compared clinical characteristics between groups with plasma BNP levels above or below the median value, and performed multiple logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors of supramedian BNP levels.. Patients with supramedian BNP (>or=134 pg/ml) were more likely to be elderly (>or=75 years) with diabetes, prior myocardial infarction, and a history of coronary artery bypass grafting. They also had higher cardiac marker levels, a higher Killip class, a lower left ventricular ejection fraction, renal insufficiency (creatinine>or=1.5 mg/dl), and more 3-vessel disease. In multivariate analysis, the strongest independent predictor of supramedian BNP levels was 3-vessel disease (chi(2)=12.1), followed by old age (chi(2)=10.3), renal insufficiency (chi(2)=5.0), higher Killip class (chi(2)=4.2), and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (chi(2)=4.1). All 11 patients dying in hospital had supramedian BNP levels. Its elevation reflected the risk of 3-vessel disease and coronary artery bypass grafting regardless of troponin status.. In unselected patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes, an increase of BNP is correlated with the extent of myocardial ischemia, age, renal insufficiency, and ventricular dysfunction. It may be a useful biomarker integrating conventional risk factors for risk stratification in this population.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Female; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Survival Analysis

The relationship between BNP and NT-proBNP among physiologically and clinically relevant demographic subgroups has never been clarified in the context of the emergency department (ED).. A blood sample taken from patients presenting to the E.D. with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) was analyzed for BNP and NT-proBNP, and correlation between them was examined as an entire group then as subgroups according to gender, ethnicity, age, and comorbidity variables.. BNP and NT-proBNP correlate well (0.89, P < 0.0001) in a population of 420 patients and in patient subgroups with a history of various etiologies, including vascular disorders.. In general, BNP and NT-proBNP correlate very well in patients with suspected ACS and may aid in the risk stratification process in emergency departments.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Coronary Disease; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Syndrome

Topics: Area Under Curve; Cohort Studies; Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; Coronary Disease; Humans; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; Kidney Diseases; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; ROC Curve

There has been considerable debate regarding the impact of assay imprecision on the performance of cardiac biomarkers for diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and risk stratification for future adverse cardiac events.. Using existing data from 2 published clinical trials, we used a resampling method to statistically introduce 5%, 10%, and 20% imprecision to results for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and examined its impact on ROC curve analysis.. Superimposition of artificial imprecision produced no significant difference in the area under the ROC curve observed for BNP for diagnosis of heart failure or for cTnI for 30-day risk stratification of patients with ACS.. Assay imprecision does not appear to be a critical determinant in the interpretation of cardiac marker results for patients with heart disease.

Topics: Acute Disease; Biomarkers; Clinical Trials as Topic; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Humans; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Risk Assessment; ROC Curve; Troponin I

We investigated the effect of age and coronary angioplasty on brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP).. Serum levels of both peptides immediately before catheterization and at the end of angioplasty in 15 patients (age 68 +/- 8 years, 8 men) with coronary artery disease (CAD) were compared to 12 elderly (65 +/- 7 years, 8 men) and 16 non-elderly (34 +/- 7 years, 10 men) healthy individuals. The results showed that in healthy individuals the levels of both peptides are age-dependent dissimilarly. Compared to the non-elderly, while BNP increases in the elderly (7.81 +/- 1.60 vs. 10.01 +/- 2.06 pg/ml, p = 0.002), CNP decreases (5.39 +/- 1.30 vs. 2.22 +/- 0.80 pg/ml, p < 0.001). On the other hand, compared to the elderly healthy persons, patients with CAD have a marked increase in the baseline levels of BNP (20.02 +/- 17.43 pg/ml, p = 0.03) and CNP (4.41 +/- 1.20 pg/ml, p < 0.001). However, both peptides remain stationary immediately after angioplasty (BNP, 21.02 +/- 16.95; CNP, 4.51 +/- 1.06 pg/ml; both p = 0.4).. BNP and CNP are differentially regulated by age in a healthy state, suggesting that each peptide has a distinct role during the aging process. The elevation of both peptides in CAD but little change shortly after angioplasty may indicate that both peptides respond to a chronic state rather than an acute episode of vascular damage.

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Angioplasty; Chi-Square Distribution; Coronary Disease; Humans; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Natriuretic Peptide, C-Type; Statistics, Nonparametric

We assessed the relationship between NT-proBNP levels and all-cause mortality in patients with stable coronary heart disease. NT-proBNP was measured in 1,034 patients referred for elective coronary angiography. In a multivariable Cox regression analysis, the hazard ratio for death from any cause for patients with NT-proBNP levels in the fourth quartile as compared with those in the first quartile was 2.4 (95% CI 1.5-4.0). NT-proBNP provides prognostic information on all-cause mortality independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors and left ventricular dysfunction.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Survival Rate

Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, appears to be a modulator of lipid metabolism and systemic inflammation and is present in particularly low concentrations in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the clinical importance of adiponectin in individuals at markedly high risk for future cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has not been fully elucidated. We examined the associations between serum adiponectin and several biomarkers related to cardiovascular disease and heart failure in a large high-risk population comprising patients with prevalent CHD.. We measured fasting adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and markers of lipoprotein metabolism in 1174 patients with CHD.. After adjustment for age and sex, adiponectin was associated with HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C; r = 0.25; P <0.0001), NT-proBNP (r = 0.17; P <0.0001), and plasma triglyceride (r = -0.21; P <0.0001) concentrations. There was, however, no statistically significant association between adiponectin and markers of systemic inflammation. In partial correlation analyses further adjusted for body mass index, alcohol intake, smoking status, presence of diabetes and/or hypertension, lipid-lowering drug therapy, and fasting plasma glucose, adiponectin remained significantly associated with HDL-C (r = 0.21; P <0.0001), NT-proBNP (r = 0.15; P <0.0001), and plasma triglycerides (r = -0.16; P <0.0001).. Serum adiponectin is associated with the presence of atherogenic dyslipidemia and with NT-proBNP concentration but not with markers of systemic inflammation in patients with manifest CHD. Thus, atherogenic dyslipidemia may link adiponectin with the progression of atherosclerosis. Moreover, serum adiponectin may be related to BNP in patients with CHD.

Topics: Adiponectin; Adult; Aged; Atherosclerosis; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dyslipidemias; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Inflammation; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Ventricular Function, Left

Demonstration that aldosterone synthesis occurs in the myocardium would suggest that the clinical benefits of aldosterone receptor antagonists may extend to patients with normal circulating plasma levels of aldosterone. Previous studies have reported myocardial aldosterone synthesis in patients with heart failure. This study determined whether myocardial aldosterone and angiotensin II release occurs in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and/or coronary heart disease (CHD) with normal left ventricular ejection fractions and no clinical heart failure. In 19 patients with severe AS and 18 patients with stable CHD, plasma levels of aldosterone, angiotensin II, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and procollagen type III amino terminal peptide (PIIINP) were measured in blood samples taken from the coronary sinus and aortic root before diagnostic coronary angiography. Plasma aldosterone was approximately 20% greater in the coronary sinus than the aorta, respectively, in the 2 patient groups (AS: 120 vs 102 pmol/L, p <0.001; CHD: 94 vs 77 pmol/L, p <0.001). Plasma angiotensin II was also greater in the coronary sinus (AS: 16 vs 11 pmol/L, p <0.001; CHD: 12 vs 9 pmol/L, p <0.001). Plasma levels of BNP in the coronary sinus were approximately double those in the aorta in the 2 groups of patients (p <0.001). In contrast, there was no transmyocardial gradient in the plasma level of PIIINP for either AS or CHD. In conclusion, these results indicate that aldosterone, angiotensin II, and BNP are released into the coronary sinus in severe AS and in stable CHD, even when the left ventricular ejection fraction is normal and there is no clinical heart failure.

Topics: Aged; Aldosterone; Angiotensin II; Aorta; Aortic Valve Stenosis; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Procollagen; Stroke Volume; Venae Cavae

C-reactive protein (CRP) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) provide prognostic information in patients with stable coronary heart disease. The aim of the study was to investigate whether combined use of NT-proBNP and CRP improves risk stratification in these patients.. This cohort study included 989 patients with stable coronary heart disease who underwent coronary stenting. CRP and NT-proBNP were measured before angiography. The primary end point of the study was all-cause mortality. Using median values of NT-proBNP (279.9 ng/L) and CRP (1.2 mg/L), patients were divided into 4 groups: low NT-proBNP-low CRP group (305 patients with NT-proBNP or =median; high NT-proBNP-low CRP group (237 patients with NT-proBNP> or =median and CRP or =median and CRP> or =median).. During a median follow-up of 3.6 years (interquartile range 3.3 to 4.5 years), there were 85 deaths: 6 deaths in the low NT-proBNP-low CRP group, 11 deaths in the low NT-proBNP-high CRP group, 20 deaths in the high NT-proBNP-low CRP group, and 48 deaths in the high NT-proBNP-high CRP group with Kaplan-Meier mortality estimates of 2.7%, 8.9%, 12.1% and 35.6%, respectively (P <.001). Cox proportional hazards model showed that combination NT-proBNP-CRP was the strongest independent correlate of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 4.3, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-9.3; P <.001 for high NT-proBNP-high CRP vs low NT-proBNP-low CRP).. Combined use of NT-proBNP and CRP improves long-term risk prediction of mortality in patients with stable coronary heart disease.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Coronary Restenosis; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Germany; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Odds Ratio; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Stents; Treatment Outcome

In this issue of Molecular Pharmacology, Luo et al. (p. 1953) present a study employing a HIF-1alpha/VP16 chimera to investigate the mechanism by which this constitutively active transcription factor activates expression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). The results define a functional hypoxia responsive element (HRE) in the promoter of the human BNP gene and demonstrate that this HRE is necessary for HIF-1alpha/VP16-induced gene expression in human cardiomyocytes grown under normoxic conditions. Luo et al. also show that a consensus E-box DNA binding sequence is necessary for appropriate BNP regulation. Because HIF-1 is known to elicit protective and beneficial gene expression programs in many scenarios and because BNP is known to be cardioprotective, this study provides support for the therapeutic use of the chimeric HIF-1alpha/VP16 protein in coronary heart disease. However, because HIF-1alpha is a key regulatory molecule that acts upon a large number of downstream gene networks, there remains a need for further investigation. Particularly useful would be comprehensive gene expression profiling coupled with functional analysis of HIF-1alpha/VP16-regulated genes. The results of such studies will elucidate the mechanism of beneficial effects and address concerns regarding potential adverse effects of activating specific HIF-1alpha/VP16-dependent gene programs.

Topics: Coronary Disease; Genetic Therapy; Humans; Hypoxia; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; Myocytes, Cardiac; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Response Elements; Transcriptional Activation

Topics: Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular; Health Services Misuse; Heart Failure; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis

The prognostic significance of N-terminal pro-A-type (NT-proANP) and pro-B-type natriuretic peptides (NT-proBNP) is not well documented in population-based prospective studies. We, therefore, studied if both NT-proANP and NT-proBNP are predictive for overall death, cardiovascular events, and atrial fibrillation (AF) among middle-aged men without heart failure or AF at baseline.. Plasma NT-proANP and NT-proBNP were measured in a representative population-based sample of 905 men (age 46-65 years) from eastern Finland. There were 110 deaths [58 cardiovascular and 40 coronary heart disease (CHD)] and 59 cases of AF during a follow-up of 10 years. The multivariable adjusted risk for overall was 1.35-fold (95% CI 1.15-1.57) and 1.52-fold (95% CI 1.21-1.91) for CHD death for each SD (160.8 pmol/L) increment in NT-proANP. The respective risks were 1.26-fold (95% CI 1.12-1.42) and 1.44-fold (95% CI 1.22-1.60) for each SD (58.9 pmol/L) increment in NT-proBNP. The adjusted risks for future AF were 1.46 (P<0.001) and 1.72-fold (P<0.001) for each SD increment in NT-proANP and NT-proBNP, respectively.. The main finding of the present study is that NT-proANP and NT-proBNP are strong predictors of death from cardiovascular and other causes including AF. These natriuretic peptides add to the prognostic value of conventional risk factors and provide a non-invasive measure for identifying men with high risk of death and its co-morbidities.

Topics: Coronary Disease; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is released from the cardiac ventricles in response to increased wall tension in patients with heart failure. The significance of blood BNP in predicting cardiac death in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in Chinese patients is yet to be established.. Blood BNP concentration was measured in 106 ACS patients 1-3 days after onset of ischemic symptoms. Patients were followed-up for 6 months on mortality and other cardiovascular events.. During the follow-up, cardiac death occurred in 13 patients (non-survival group). Another 12 patients were hospitalized due to recurrence of ACS or heart failure. The mean blood BNP concentration in the non-survival group was significantly higher than that of the survival group (median 1132 vs. 116 ng/L, p <0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis incorporating age, gender, history of hypertension, diabetes, left ventricular ejection fraction, troponin I and therapeutic regimens indicated that BNP was an independent predictor of cardiac death in these patients (odds ratio = 21.19, 95% confidence interval 4.53-99.06, p <0.001).. BNP is a useful parameter in predicting cardiac death in Chinese patients with ACS.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Survival Rate

Topics: Adiponectin; Atherosclerosis; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Dyslipidemias; Heart Failure; Humans; Inflammation; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Risk Factors

Topics: Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Health Status; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis

NT-probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) has been associated with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and adverse outcome in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS). However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for this association have not been well established. We sought to explore the relation between NT-proBNP levels and extension of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the presence of more complex and severe coronary lesions.. This prospective, multicenter angiographic substudy included 585 patients admitted with NSTEACS. Blinded measurements of NT-proBNP and troponin T were performed at a median time of 3 hours after admission and analyzed centrally. Angiograms were read at a core laboratory by 2 independent readers blinded to patient data. Complex coronary lesion was defined as the presence of at least one of the following: thrombus (+), TIMI flow < 2, or ulcerated plaque.. NT-probrain natriuretic peptide levels increased proportionally as LV function decreased. The levels of NT-proBNP were directly related to the extent of the CAD. This association was maintained when we analyzed patients with normal LV function (n = 257). Patients with complex coronary lesions or those with at least one of its individual component had higher levels of NT-proBNP compared with those without complex coronary lesions. After adjusting for clinical and electrocardiographic variables and other biomarkers, positive troponin (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.50-3.22, P < .0001) and supramedian NT-proBNP levels (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.19-2.47, P = .003) independently contributed to the prediction of complex coronary lesions.. In this study of patients with NSTEACS, NT-proBNP levels progressively increase with the severity of CAD and degree of LV dysfunction. Increased levels of NT-proBNP independently predict the presence of more complex coronary lesions.

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Syndrome; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Topics: Angina Pectoris; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Sensitivity and Specificity

Topics: Animals; Biomarkers; Biosensing Techniques; Coronary Disease; Fiber Optic Technology; Humans; Mice; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Optical Fibers; Prognosis; Troponin I

Markers of neurohormonal activation and inflammation play a pivotal role in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS).. We hypothesized that other biochemical markers could add prognostic value on Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score to predict major cardiovascular events in patients with NSTE-ACS.. In a cohort of 172 consecutive patients with NSTE-ACS, TIMI score was assessed in the first 24 h, and blood samples were collected for measurement of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, CD40 ligand, and creatinine. Major clinical outcomes (death and cardiovascular hospitalization) were accessed at 30 days and 6 months. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify markers significantly associated with outcomes and, based on individual coefficients, an expanded score was developed.. Of 172 patients, 42% had acute myocardial infarction. The unadjusted 30-day event rate increased with age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.06), creatinine (OR = 2.4; 1.4-4.1), TIMI score (OR = 1.6; 1.2-2.2), troponin I (OR = 3.4; 1.5-7.7), total CK (OR = 2.7; 1.2-6.1), and NT-proBNP (OR = 2.9; 1.3-6.3) levels. In multivariate analysis, TIMI risk score, creatinine, and NT-proBNP remained associated with worse prognosis. Multimarker Expanded TIMI Risk Score [TIMI score + (2 X creatinine [in mg/dl]) + (3, if NT-proBNP > 400 pg/ml)] showed good accuracy for 30-day (c statistic 0.77; p < 0.001) and 6-month outcomes (c statistic 0.75; p < 0.001). The 30-day event rates according to tertiles of expanded score were 7, 26, and 75%, respectively (p < 0.01).. In NSTE-ACS, baseline levels of NT-proBNP and creatinine are independently related to cardiovascular events. Both markers combined with TIMI risk score provide a better risk stratification than either test alone.

Topics: Aged; Analysis of Variance; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; CD40 Ligand; Coronary Disease; Coronary Thrombosis; Creatine Kinase; Creatinine; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; ROC Curve; Syndrome; Time Factors; Troponin I

Plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) correlate with left ventricular remodeling, but the relationship between BNP induction and coronary function remains unclear.. The present study assessed BNP production in response to left ventricular enlargement and investigated the relationship between BNP production and coronary vasodilating function in patients with left ventricular remodeling.. Patients (n = 63) with normal or mildly diseased coronary arteries underwent Doppler flow study of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Vascular reactivity was examined using intracoronary acetylcholine, papaverine and nitroglycerin using a Doppler guidewire.. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension was positively correlated with BNP (r = 0.45, p < 0.001) in all patients. BNP was significantly and inversely correlated with percentage change in coronary artery diameter induced by acetylcholine (r = -0.56, p < 0.001) but not by nitroglycerin (r = -0.20, p = 0.28) in patients with left ventricular end-diastolic dimension > or = 55 mm (n = 32). By contrast, BNP was not significantly correlated with percentage change in coronary artery diameter induced by either acetylcholine or nitroglycerin in patients with left ventricular end-diastolic dimension < 55 mm (n = 31). Further, BNP was not correlated with the percentage change in coronary blood flow induced by acetylcholine or by papaverine in patients with or without left ventricular remodeling.. The elevation in plasma BNP levels that occurs in association with left ventricular enlargement is a predictor of impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation in conductance coronary arteries.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Coronary Vessels; Endothelium, Vascular; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Predictive Value of Tests; Vasodilation; Ventricular Remodeling

The level of the inactive N-terminal fragment of pro-brain (B-type) natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a strong predictor of mortality among patients with acute coronary syndromes and may be a strong prognostic marker in patients with chronic coronary heart disease as well. We assessed the relationship between N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-pro-BNP) levels and long-term mortality from all causes in a large cohort of patients with stable coronary heart disease.. NT-pro-BNP was measured in baseline serum samples from 1034 patients referred for angiography because of symptoms or signs of coronary heart disease. The rate of death from all causes was determined after a median follow-up of nine years.. At follow-up, 288 patients had died. The median NT-pro-BNP level was significantly lower among patients who survived than among those who died (120 pg per milliliter [interquartile range, 50 to 318] vs. 386 pg per milliliter [interquartile range, 146 to 897], P<0.001). Patients with NT-pro-BNP levels in the highest quartile were older, had a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and a lower creatinine clearance rate, and were more likely to have a history of myocardial infarction, clinically significant coronary artery disease, and diabetes than patients with NT-pro-BNP levels in the lowest quartile. In a multivariable Cox regression model, the hazard ratio for death from any cause for the patients with NT-pro-BNP levels in the fourth quartile as compared with those in the first quartile was 2.4 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.5 to 4.0; P<0.001); the NT-pro-BNP level added prognostic information beyond that provided by conventional risk factors, including the patient's age; sex; family history with respect to ischemic heart disease; the presence or absence of a history of myocardial infarction, angina, hypertension, diabetes, or chronic heart failure; creatinine clearance rate; body-mass index; smoking status; plasma lipid levels; LVEF; and the presence or absence of clinically significant coronary artery disease on angiography.. NT-pro-BNP is a marker of long-term mortality in patients with stable coronary disease and provides prognostic information above and beyond that provided by conventional cardiovascular risk factors and the degree of left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Cause of Death; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gated Blood-Pool Imaging; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk Factors; Stroke Volume; Survival Analysis

High circulating concentrations of N-terminal fragments of A- and B-type natriuretic peptides (NT-proANP and NT-proBNP) identify patients with impaired cardiac function. ProANP-derived peptides are particularly sensitive to increased preload of the heart and proBNP-derived peptides to increased afterload; therefore, combining the information from the ANP and BNP systems into a single analyte could produce an assay with increased diagnostic and prognostic power.. We prepared a hybrid peptide containing peptide sequences from both NT-proBNP and NT-proANP (referred to as NT-proXNP) by recombinant techniques and used it to develop a RIA combining weighed concentrations of NT-proANP and NT-proBNP into a new virtual analyte, NT-proXNP. We used the novel method to measure the circulating concentrations in healthy persons and in patients with cardiac disorders. We also characterized the assay by HPLC analysis of the immunoreactive molecular forms in human plasma and serum.. The results from the novel assay correlated well with independent home-made NT-proANP and NT-proBNP assays (r2 = 0.75-0.85) as well with the arithmetic sum of NT-proANP and NT-proBNP (r2 = 0.92). Patients with valvular heart disease (VHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) had significantly increased NT-proXNP concentrations. The areas under the curve (AUC) of the NT-proXNP assay in detecting VHD and CAD (0.961 and 0.924, respectively) were significantly larger than the AUC of either NT-proANP (0.947 and 0.872) or NT-proBNP (0.913 and 0.782) assays. HPLC analysis showed that the novel NT-proXNP assay detects two major classes of circulating immunoreactivity corresponding to peptides derived from NT-proANP and NT-proBNP.. Our novel immunoassay mimics the physiologic signaling system working in the body by converging the information obtained from the activation of ANP and BNP into a single virtual analyte, NT-proXNP. It appears to have a diagnostic efficiency equal to or slightly better than that of individual NT-proANP or NT-proBNP assays.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Coronary Disease; Heart Valve Diseases; Humans; Immune Sera; Iodine Radioisotopes; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Protein Precursors; Radioimmunoassay; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Reference Values

Comparative assessment of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) across a wide spectrum of angiographic and clinical coronary artery disease (CAD) in a consecutive series of patients has not been reported. This study examined 879 subjects (684 patients who had angiographically proved CAD and 195 controls who did not have CAD). NT-pro-BNP concentrations were measured before an angiographic procedure that allowed diagnosis of CAD and measurements of left ventricular ejection fraction and end-diastolic blood pressure. Median values (25th and 75th percentiles) of NT-pro-BNP in patients and controls were 474.5 pg/ml (162.3 and 1,542.8) and 117.0 pg/ml (60.1 and 230.6), respectively (p <0.001). In patients who had stable angina, unstable angina, and acute myocardial infarction, NT-pro-BNP concentrations were 327.7 pg/ml (129.2 and 973.2), 660.6 pg/ml (201.2 and 1,563.5), and 1,045.0 pg/ml (323.8 and 2,486.0, p <0.001). NT-pro-BNP concentrations in subgroups with 1-, 2-, and 3-vessel CAD were 385.5 pg/ml (117.2 and 1,266.0), 463.0 pg/ml (135.0 and 1,480.5), and 533.8 pg/ml (221.8 and 1,809.4), respectively (p = 0.005). Multivariable analysis showed that NT-pro-BNP was an independent correlate of the presence of CAD (chi-square 10.8, odds ratio 1.08, 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.13 for 100-pg/ml increase in concentration; p <0.001), acute coronary syndromes (chi-square 6.3, odds ratio 1.01, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.02 for 100-pg/ml increase in concentration, p = 0.01) and a strong trend that was independently associated with angiographic severity (chi-square 3.68, p = 0.055). This study shows that NT-pro-BNP concentrations are high across the entire spectrum of CAD and parallel the clinical or angiographic severity of CAD.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Case-Control Studies; Chi-Square Distribution; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Statistics, Nonparametric; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide) and anaemia are both associated with adverse outcome in patients with chronic heart failure. Whether low haemoglobin levels are independently predictive of elevated BNP levels in subjects without heart failure is unknown. In the present study, we examined the relationship between haemoglobin and BNP levels in 234 patients with suspected coronary heart disease without a history of chronic heart failure, adjusting for known predictors of BNP levels. By univariate analysis, haemoglobin levels were inversely related to logarithmically transformed BNP values (r = -0.30, P < 0.0001). After adjustment for patient age, gender, body mass index, history of myocardial infarction, use of diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers, estimated creatinine clearance rate, extent of coronary disease, left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, blood haemoglobin remained an independent predictor of plasma BNP (standardized beta-coefficient = -0.253, P < 0.0001). A similar relationship was observed between haematocrit and BNP (standardized beta-coefficient -0.215, P < 0.0001). We conclude that haemoglobin levels are independently predictive of plasma BNP levels in patients with suspected coronary heart disease without heart failure. Anaemia may contribute to elevated BNP levels in the absence of heart failure, and may represent an important confounder of the relationship between BNP, cardiac function and prognosis.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Chi-Square Distribution; Coronary Disease; Female; Hematocrit; Hemoglobins; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis

Topics: Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Humans; Inflammation Mediators; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Natriuretic Peptides; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Peroxidase; Protein Precursors; Risk Assessment; Troponin

The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), coronary artery disease, and subclinical cardiomyopathy in diabetic patients without known cardiac disease is unclear. We sought the frequency of these findings to determine whether plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) could be used as an alternative screening tool to identify subclinical LV dysfunction.. Asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus without known cardiac disease (n = 101) underwent clinical evaluation, measurement of BNP, exercise stress testing, and detailed echocardiographic assessment. After exclusion of overt dysfunction or ischemia, subclinical myocardial function was sought on the basis of myocardial systolic (Sm) and diastolic velocity (Em). Association was sought between subclinical dysfunction and clinical, biochemical, exercise, and echocardiographic variables. RESULTS; Of 101 patients, 22 had LVH and 16 had ischemia evidenced by exercise-induced wall motion abnormalities. Only 4 patients had abnormal BNP levels; BNP was significantly increased in patients with LVH. After exclusion of LVH and coronary artery disease, subclinical cardiomyopathy was identified in 24 of 66 patients. Subclinical disease could not be predicted by BNP.. Even after exclusion of asymptomatic ischemia and hypertrophy, subclinical systolic and diastolic dysfunction occurs in a significant number of patients with type 2 diabetes. However, screening approaches, including BNP, do not appear to be sufficiently sensitive to identify subclinical dysfunction, which requires sophisticated echocardiographic analysis.

Topics: Aged; Cardiomyopathies; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Echocardiography, Doppler; Exercise Test; Female; Humans; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Observer Variation; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Topics: Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Humans; Kidney; Kidney Diseases; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Risk Factors; Survival Analysis

N-Terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level predicts underlying heart disease in the general population. However, because NT-proBNP clearance may depend on renal function, the significance of an elevated level in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) without cardiac symptoms is uncertain. We sought to determine whether there is an association between NT-proBNP level and coronary artery disease (CAD) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in this population.. We enrolled 207 ambulatory patients with CKD not on dialysis therapy. Medical records were reviewed for cardiac history and risk factors. NT-proBNP and troponin T (cTnT) levels were measured. Echocardiograms were analyzed from 99 patients.. NT-proBNP levels were elevated in 116 patients (56%), and 67 patients (33%) had experienced prior CAD events (myocardial infarction or revascularization). The prevalence of advanced age, diabetes, prior CAD events, myocardial injury (cTnT > 0.03 ng/mL [>0.03 microg/L]), and LVH increased, whereas glomerular filtration rate decreased, across quartiles of NT-proBNP levels. After adjustment for glomerular filtration rate, cTnT level, age, and diabetes, NT-proBNP remained an independent indicator of prior CAD events compared with quartile 1 (cTnT range, 4 to 116 pg/mL) for quartile 2 (range, 122 to 490 pg/mL): odds ratio, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 0.5 to 5.0; for quartile 3 (range, 490 to 1,819 pg/mL): odds ratio, 5.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 16.2; and for quartile 4 (>1,975 pg/mL): odds ratio, 4.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 13.5. For patients with echocardiograms, NT-proBNP level predicted prior CAD events independent of LVH.. NT-proBNP level elevation in asymptomatic patients with CKD reflects underlying ischemic heart disease and hypertrophy independent of renal function in a population with anticipated high cardiac morbidity.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Biomarkers; Chronic Disease; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Ethnicity; Female; Humans; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; Kidney Diseases; Male; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Ultrasonography

A common key question in clinical medicine is whether coronary artery disease (CAD) is present in a patient. This applies not only to patients with symptomatic chest pain, but also to those at high risk of sudden unexpected death due to asymptomatic CAD, such as diabetics. In both groups of patients, it would be of great benefit if a simple blood test could identify those most likely to have CAD. Such individuals could then be selected for more definitive but more invasive tests for CAD, such as angiography, exercise testing, etc. In addition to its established role in diagnosing heart failure, it appears that BNP may fulfil this function of pre-screening for both symptomatic and asymptomatic CAD. We review the evidence for this new prospect, which has the potential to reduce cardiac deaths by using a simple blood test to better target cardioprotective strategies to those who most need them.

Topics: Biomarkers; Chronic Disease; Coronary Disease; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Predictive Value of Tests; Reproducibility of Results

As a competitive inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) has been related to atherosclerotic disease. Little is known about the prognostic impact of baseline ADMA determination. In a prospective cohort of 1908 patients with coronary artery disease, we assessed baseline serum concentration of ADMA in 1874 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease. One hundred fourteen individuals developed the primary end point of death from cardiovascular causes or nonfatal myocardial infarction during a mean follow-up of 2.6+/-1.2 years. Median concentrations of ADMA levels were higher among individuals who subsequently developed the primary end point than among those who did not (0.70 versus 0.63 micromol/L; P<0.001). The risk of future cardiovascular event was associated with increasing thirds of baseline ADMA (P for trend, <0.001) such that individuals in the highest third at entry had a hazard ratio 2.48 times higher than those in the lowest third (95% confidence interval, 1.52 to 4.06; P<0.001). This relationship remained nearly unchanged after adjustment for most potential confounders. Prediction models that simultaneously incorporated ADMA, B-type natriuretic peptide, C-reactive protein, and creatinine in addition to traditional risk factors revealed B-type natriuretic peptide (hazard ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 3.0; P=0.002) and ADMA (hazard ratio, 1.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 2.8; P=0.001) as the strongest risk predictors. High levels of baseline ADMA independently predict future cardiovascular risk. ADMA has prognostic value beyond traditional risk factors and novel biomarkers and might guide therapeutic strategies.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Arginine; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors

Recently there has been a growing interest in risk assessment of individuals, using biochemical markers of cardiac risk, with an increasing focus on a multi-marker strategy. Natriuretic peptides (BNP and NT-proBNP) are well-established markers of increased risk in the general population and in high-risk groups with hypertension, and coronary heart disease. However, there is at present no indication for routine measurements of natriuretic peptides in the risk assessment of individuals or patients, as there is no evidence for subsequent therapeutic initiatives. Natriuretic peptides are useful when screening for heart failure in symptomatic individuals. However, the use of NT-proBNP screening for risk or left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the general population is still a matter of debate.

Topics: Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Humans; Hypertension; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Risk

To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and atrium natriuretic peptide (ANP) in chronic congestive heart failure.. Seventy-one coronary heart disease patients were enrolled in the study. Among them 58 patients were accompanied by heart failure and 13 with no heart failure. Plasma NT-ProBNP was determined with enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay method, and plasma ANP was determined with radioimmunoassay method. The results were compared with those of 30 healthy individuals. All patients were followed up accordingly.. Compared with patients with no heart failure and healthy individuals, the patients with heart failure had a higher plasma NT-proBNP and ANP contents. Cardiac function grade IV patients had a significantly higher plasma NT-ProBNP than cardiac function grade II and III patients, and their plasma ANP level was significantly higher than that of cardiac function grade III patients, but there was no significantly difference in ANP content between cardiac function grade IV and II. The diagnostic sensitivity of NT-proBNP and ANP was 94.38% and 75.86%, respectively. The diagnostic specificity of NT-proBNP and ANP was 96.67%, 83.33%, respectively. In the heart failure group, after being followed up for (11.35+/-1.69) months, it was found that there was no significant difference in the plasma NT-proBNP and ANP between the deaths and surviving patients.. The diagnostic value of NT-proBNP in chronic heart failure is higher than that of ANP. According to our follow-up result, the plasma NT-proBNP and ANP can not be relied upon to predict short-term cardiogenic death in heart failure.

Topics: Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Chronic Disease; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis

Although there is growing evidence that N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) can be used as a powerful tool in risk prediction in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS), the dynamic variation of serum concentrations in time is poorly understood. To gain insight into the dynamics of NT-proBNP, a study was performed using serial serum samples in patients admitted with NSTEACS.. A total of 24 patients admitted with NSTEACS was included in this study. Serial samples were taken at baseline, 8 hours, 16 hours, 24 hours, and 36 hours after admittance.. A highly dynamic pattern in serial measurements of NT-proBNP was observed. Although an increase in NT-proBNP serum levels already existed 8 hours after admittance, it did not reach significance as compared with baseline. The samples obtained 16, 24, and 36 hours after admission were all significantly increased as compared with the values at admission (P < .01), generally leading to a > 2-fold increase with peak values at 16 to 24 hours after admittance. Furthermore, considerable differences in NT-proBNP concentrations between patients were observed.. It was shown that NT-proBNP is a highly dynamic cardiac peptide. Strategic sampling at 16 to 24 hours after admittance could prove representative regarding the assessment of risk prediction and subsequent clinical decision making.

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Function, Left

The plasma levels of either brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) or the N-terminal fragment of the prohormone (NT-proBNP) have recently gained extreme importance as markers of myocardial dysfunction. Patients with type 2 diabetes are at high risk of developing cardiovascular complications. This study was aimed to assess whether plasma NT-proBNP levels are at similar levels in type 2 diabetics with or without overt cardiovascular diseases.. We assayed plasma NT-proBNP in 54 type 2 diabetics, 27 of whom had no overt macro- and/or microvascular complications, while the remaining ones had either or both. The same assay was carried out in 38 healthy control subjects age and sex matched as a group with the diabetics.. Plasma NT-proBNP was higher in diabetics (median 121 pg/ml, interquartile range 50-240 pg/ml, ) than in those without complications (37 pg/ml, 21-54 pg/ml, P<0.01). Compared with the controls (55 pg/ml, 40-79 pg/ml), only diabetics with vascular complications had significantly increased plasma NT-proBNP levels (P<0.001). In the diabetics, coronary heart disease and nephropathy (defined according to urinary excretion of albumin) were each independently associated with elevated values of plasma NT-proBNP.. In type 2 diabetes mellitus, patients with macro- and/or micro-vascular complications exhibit an elevation of plasma NT-proBNP levels compared to corresponding patients with no evidence of vascular disease. The excessive secretion of this peptide is independently associated with coronary artery disease and overt nephropathy. The measurement of circulating NT-proBNP concentration may therefore be useful to screen for the presence of macro- and/or microvascular disease.

Topics: Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diabetic Angiopathies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Obesity; Peptide Fragments; Reference Values

Topics: Acute Disease; Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Sex Factors; Syndrome; Troponin; Women's Health

Atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide are known to be indices for heart failure. Atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide changes in off-pump and on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is hypothesized to be correlated to clinical implications of coronary artery bypass grafting. 20 consecutive off-pump and 20 consecutive on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting patients were studied. Perioperative atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide values were measured and statistically analyzed in terms of 14 factors related to myocardial damage and recovery. Postoperative atrial natriuretic peptide plateaued on the third postoperative day and it decreased gradually down to the preoperative level by one month in the off-pump group. Postoperative brain natriuretic peptide plateaued, showed very slow decrease and it never reached down to the preoperative level. The peak brain natriuretic peptide level was correlated with aortic cross-clamp time, postoperative pleural effusion, and postoperative atrial fibrillation (p < 0.01). The atrial natriuretic peptide change reflected surgical prevention of ventricular remodeling. Brain natriuretic peptide > 450 microg.mL(-1) had strong predictive power for atrial fibrillation and pleural effusion and is a useful marker for management of coronary surgery patients.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Cardiopulmonary Bypass; Chi-Square Distribution; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Postoperative Care; Probability; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome

From a previous survey of cardiac nurses attending a scientific conference, we learned that these nurses adopted a healthier lifestyle than the general population.. The aim of this study was to determine the overall profile of cardiac risk factors in a similar cohort and determine whether cardiac nurses continue to 'practice what they preach' in this regard. Secondly, we examined the practical value of screening a large cohort of individuals within a short time frame (total of 8 hours screening time) and determined the range of BNP concentrations within a 'healthy' cohort.. Data on CHD risk factors were collected with a short self-report questionnaire. The sample consisted of 122 cardiac nurses from 19 countries attending a European cardiac nursing conference held in Stockholm. A venous blood sample was collected into a tube containing potassium ETDA. B-type natriuretic peptide was measured on-site with the use of a portable fluorescence immunoassay kit.. Most participants were female (89%). Participants ranged in age from 23 to 60 years with a mean age of 41 (S.D. 9.4). Eleven percent - all female - reported they were current smokers, 27% (34) had a BMI >25 and 27% of the sample stated they did not exercise regularly. Almost half (48%) of the sample reported a family history of CHD. As expected, all BNP-values were within the normal range. There were significant differences in BNP on the basis of sex (P<0.05) and age (P<0.05) and a trend towards increasing BNP concentrations with progressively higher BMI scores (P=0.06).. This study reconfirms the likelihood that many cardiac nurses heed their own advice on lifestyle modification to reduce cardiovascular risk and therefore provide a good role model for the promotion of primary and secondary prevention initiatives.

Topics: Adult; Attitude to Health; Cardiology; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Complications; Europe; Female; Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay; Health Behavior; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Surveys; Humans; Hypertension; Life Style; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nurse Clinicians; Obesity; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors

Because the real prognosis of Japanese patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) is still unknown, the aim of the present study was to clarify the prognosis and predictors for mortality of CHF patients using the Chronic Heart failure Analysis and Registry in Tohoku district (CHART).. As of February 2003, 1,154 stable CHF patients with optimum standard therapy have been enrolled in the registry since February 2000 and of these, 175 died of some cause during the follow-up period (mean follow-up period, 1.9+/-0.9 years), giving 1- and 3-year all-cause mortality rates of 7.3% and 20.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that age at entry, diabetes, ventricular tachycardia, plasma concentration of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class and rural residence were significantly associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.028, 1.940, 1.650, 1.001, 1.713, and 2.226). The 1-year all-cause mortality rates of CHF patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction <25%, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter > or =60 mm, BNP > or =500 pg/ml, NYHA > or = III, or with underlying coronary artery disease were 15.0%, 11.4%, 16.8%, 16.3%, and 10.8%, respectively.. The prognosis of Japanese CHF patients with these predictors remains poor. A stratified approach is necessary to improve their survival and quality of life.

Topics: Aged; Cardiac Output, Low; Chronic Disease; Coronary Disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Japan; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Registries; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke Volume

Little information is available about the potential role of brain (type B) natriuretic peptide in patients with acute myocardial infarction. We therefore analyzed peptide levels, measured at discharge from our coronary care unit, in 56 patients admitted with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. We examined peptide concentrations in the light of different features in our patients, and found a significant association between natriuretic peptide levels and the two most important prognostic factors: left ventricular ejection fraction, and the severity and extent of coronary disease. Type B natriuretic peptide was a good predictor of these features, and we conclude that concentration of type B natriuretic peptide, measured at discharge from the coronary care unit, provides important clinical and prognostic information in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Topics: Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Neurotransmitter Agents; Regression Analysis; ROC Curve; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was evaluated before and after sinus rhythm restoration in patients with paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) who had underlying hypertension or coronary heart disease and normal left ventricle function. Twenty-four hours after successful cardioversion, plasma BNP decreased significantly to levels that had been measured in controlled subjects: from 95 to 28 pg/ml in 24 patients in the paroxysmal AF group and from 75 to 41 pg/ml in 36 patients in the persistent AF group. This indicates that AF affects BNP secretion in patients with AF and that some BNP may be atrially delivered.

Topics: Atrial Fibrillation; Case-Control Studies; Coronary Disease; Electric Countershock; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prospective Studies

The prognostic value of natriuretic peptide elevations in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is still incompletely defined. We measured N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) on admission in patients with ACS and ECG evidence of myocardial ischemia.. The NT-proBNP was measured at a median time of 3 hours after symptom onset in 1756 patients. The outcome measure was death at 30 days, which occurred in 113 patients (6.4%). The median NT-proBNP level was 353 ng/L (107 to 1357 ng/L). Compared with the lowest quartile, patients in the second, third, and fourth quartiles had a relative risk of subsequent death of 2.94 (95% CI, 1.15 to 7.52), 5.32 (95% CI, 2.19 to 12.91), and 11.5 (95% CI, 4.90 to 26.87), respectively. The NT-proBNP was independently associated with death in a logistic regression model, which included clinical variables, ECG, and troponin T in patients either with (OR of highest versus lowest quartile, 7.0; 95% CI, 1.9 to 25.6) or without (OR of highest versus lowest quartile, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.1 to 14.6) persistent ST-segment elevation. NT-proBNP was also an independent predictor of severe heart failure.. The measurement of NT-proBNP on admission improves the early risk stratification of patients with ACS, suggesting the need for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart Failure; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Life Tables; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Odds Ratio; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; ROC Curve; Treatment Outcome; Troponin T

The prevalence of inflammation is high among patients with chronic renal failure but the reason of inflammation is unclear. We test the hypothesis that inflammation in chronic renal failure could be the consequence of an increased left-ventricular wall tension related to ventricular dysfunction, hypervolemia or both.. For assessing left-ventricular filling pressure, plasma level of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (N-BNP) was used, as B-type natriuretic peptide is secreted from the cardiac ventricles in response to increased wall tension. N-BNP levels and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured on the same day in 75 pre-dialysis patients. A previous history of cardiomiopathy with systolic dysfunction was present in 27 (36%) of them.. The levels of N-BNP were not normally distributed (mean: 2,589 +/- 4,514 pg/ml; median: 789 pg/ml). The distribution of CRP levels was also not normal (mean: 15 +/- 27 mg/l; median: 5 mg/l). Both parameters correlated significantly (r: 0.41; p < 0.005). N-BNP was higher (p < 0.001) in patients with known ventricular dysfunction. Excluding these patients, the correlation between N-BNP and CRP was stronger (r: 0.88; p < 0.001). Univariate analysis in these patients without known cardiomyopathy showed that N-BNP levels also correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r: 0.54; p < 0.005) and inversely with creatinine clearance (r: -0.43; p < 0.01), serum albumin (r: 0.6; p < 0.001) and hemoglobin levels (r: 0.37; p < 0.05). CRP levels correlated significantly (p < 0.01) with the same parameters as N-BNP in univariate analysis. However, in multiple stepwise regression analysis in which CRP was the dependent variable, only the association with N-BNP remained significant (r: 0.87; p < 0.001).. Our results suggest a link between left-ventricular filling pressure and inflammation in patients with advanced renal insufficiency. The importance of strict volume control in these patients, in order to reduce left-ventricular pressure and therefore inflammation, should be considered.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Diabetes Complications; Edema; Female; Ferritins; Heart Ventricles; Hemoglobins; Humans; Hypertension; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Pressure; Serum Albumin; Stroke Volume; Systole; Vasculitis; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Previous studies showed that blood B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level could predict the prognosis of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). This study investigated the evaluation value of circulating BNP for early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ACS.. Nine hundred and sixty consecutive patients with ACS were enrolled. Circulating BNP level was measured when each patient arrived at the emergency room. All patients underwent PCI in 90 minutes in spite of contraindication. Cardiac events (death from any cause, heart failure, and recurrence of acute myocardial infarction or ACS) were recorded during follow-up.. In patients with BNP > or = 80 pg/ml, mortality from all causes within 1 month and 6 months in those underwent delayed PCI (> or = 6 hours) was significantly higher than those received early PCI (< 6 hours) (9.53% vs 3.49%, P = 0.027; 13.61% vs 5.24%, P = 0.010, respectively). Similarly, the incidence rate of heart failure in delayed PCI patients was significantly higher than those received early PCI within 1 month and 6 months (12.93% vs 4.66%, P = 0.008; 14.97% vs 6.98%, P = 0.021, respectively). The recurrence rate of acute myocardial infarction or ACS, however, was not significantly different between early PCI and delayed PCI patients in group BNP > or = 80 pg/ml. In patients with BNP < 80 pg/ml, no significant difference was observed between early PCI and delayed PCI patients with any of the above cardiac events within 1 month or 6 months.. While early level of circulating BNP > or = 80 pg/ml, the incidence of mortality and heart failure, but not recurrence of acute myocardial infarction, is significantly reduced in patients with ACS provided by early PCI.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Recurrence

We evaluated the circulating levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in stable angina, unstable angina, and myocardial infarction relating hormone levels to extension of coronary disease and number of vessels involved after angiographic examination. We studied 86 patients consecutively undergoing angiographic coronary examination and echocardiographic evaluation for coronary heart disease. These included 15 control subjects (group 0), 21 with stable angina (group I), 26 with unstable angina (group II), and 24 with non-Q myocardial infarction (group III). Patients with heart failure, a history of myocardial infarction, or recent myocardial damage with electrocardiographic S-T elevation were excluded. BNP levels in patients with unstable angina and myocardial infarction were significantly increased with respect to the group with stable angina (P<0.01). There were no differences between the groups with unstable angina and myocardial infarction. Analysis of peptide levels in relation to the number of involved vessels demonstrated a significant increase in patients with three-vessel disease compared with subjects with one or two vessels involved (P<0.03); among subjects with mono-vessel disease, patients with left descendent anterior stenosis had a more-marked BNP elevation than subjects with stenosis in other regions (P<0.01). Hence, BNP levels appear to be elevated in coronary disease, especially in acute coronary syndromes, even in the absence of systolic dysfunction. BNP levels also seem to be related to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis and number of vessels involved. BNP could prove a novel marker for risk stratification, not only in heart failure but also in coronary heart disease.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Random Allocation; Systole

Topics: Aged; Case-Control Studies; Chronic Disease; Coronary Disease; Dipyridamole; Disease Progression; Endothelium, Vascular; Exercise Test; Heart Failure; Humans; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke Volume; Tomography, Emission-Computed; Vasodilator Agents; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Topics: Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; C-Reactive Protein; Carotid Artery Diseases; Clinical Trials as Topic; Combined Modality Therapy; Coronary Disease; Electrocardiography; Heart Failure; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Inflammation; Myocardial Revascularization; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Stents

The diagnosis of unstable angina (troponine undetectable) is often difficult in the absence of electrocardiographic changes after suggestive chest pains. The object of this study was to analyse the kinetics of Brain Natiuretic Peptide (BNP) during acute coronary syndromes (ACS) without ST elevation. Plasma BNP was measured every 6 hours for 48 hours in 65 patients admitted for suspicion of ACS without ST elevation and without clinical, radiological or echocardiographic signs of left ventricular dysfunction. The results of BNP measurements were masked until the final diagnosis was established on the usual investigations (ECG changes, troponine I values, myocardial scintigraphy, coronary angiography). These investigations identified 3 groups of patients: non-Q wave infarction (group A: 19 patients), unstable angina (group B: 21 patients) and non-coronary chest pain (group C: 25 patients). The peak BNP was significantly higher in groups A (210 +/- 172 pg/ml) and B (152 +/- 159 pg/ml) than in group C (16 +/- 14 pg/ml). However, the BNP was normal or only slightly increased (< 50 pg/ml) in 25% of cases of ACS. Analysis of the kinetics of BNP was much more discriminating: early increase after the pain, peak between the 14th and 24th hours (19th hour on average), followed by a progressive decrease. The kinetics were identical in Groups A and B, contrasting with the flat profile of the curve in group C. A change of > 20 pg/ml in BNP was a better criterion of ACS with a diagnostic accuracy > 90% than increased troponine (group A) or undetectable troponine (group B). The authors conclude that BNP kinetics is a new and reliable diagnostic marker of unstable angina when the usual criteria of ACS are not present (notably a normal ECG and undetectable troponine).

Topics: Aged; Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; Chest Pain; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Kinetics; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Reference Values; Reproducibility of Results; Time Factors

Patients with end-stage heart failure awaiting heart transplant are often maintained on continuous intravenous inotropic therapy. However, this therapy alone is often inadequate for maintenance of appropriate pulmonary artery pressure and stable clinical course. Nesiritide, B-type natriuretic peptide, is a recently released intravenous vasodilator for short-term use in patients with decompensated heart failure. This report details experience in four patients in whom this agent was used to bridge to transplant for prolonged periods (11-35 days) with added clinical benefit and without obvious tolerance. This suggests that new strategies for pretransplant management may be needed.

Topics: Adult; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated; Cardiotonic Agents; Coronary Disease; Diuretics; Dobutamine; Dopamine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Heart Failure; Heart Transplantation; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Milrinone; Natriuretic Agents; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Preoperative Care; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Waiting Lists

Routine screening of diabetic patients with echocardiography is not feasible due to its limited availability and high cost. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is secreted from the left ventricle in response to pressure overload and is elevated in both systolic and diastolic dysfunction.. BNP levels were compared to echocardiographic findings in 263 patients. Patients were divided into two groups: clinical indication for echocardiography (CIE) (n = 172) and those without clinical indication for echocardiography (no-CIE) (n = 91). Cardiologists making the assessment of left ventricular function were blinded when measuring plasma levels of BNP.. The 91 patients with no-CIE with echoes had similar BNP levels (83 +/- 16 pg/ml) to the 215 patients with no-CIE without echoes (63 +/- 10, P = 0.10). Patients with CIE and subsequent abnormal left ventricular function (n = 112) had a mean BNP concentration of 435 +/- 41 pg/ml, compared with those with no-CIE, but had abnormal left ventricular function on echo (n = 32) (161 +/- 40 pg/ml). Twenty-one of 32 patients with no-CIE but with abnormal left ventricular function had diastolic dysfunction (BNP 190 +/- 60 pg/ml). A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that the area under the curve was 0.91 for CIE patients and 0.81 for no-CIE patients (P < 0.001). For those with no congestive heart failure (CHF) symptoms, BNP levels showed a high negative predictive value (91% for BNP values <39 pg/ml), while in those patients who had a CIE, BNP levels showed a high positive predictive value for the detection of left ventricular dysfunction (96% with BNP levels >90 pg/ml).. BNP can reliably screen diabetic patients for the presence or absence of left ventricular dysfunction.

Topics: Atrial Fibrillation; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diabetic Angiopathies; Diabetic Nephropathies; Echocardiography; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left; Ventricular Function, Left

Topics: Acute Disease; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Glycated Hemoglobin; Humans; Inflammation; Kidney Diseases; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Syndrome

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Coronary Disease; Creatinine; Electrocardiography; Heart Rate; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Racial Groups; Risk Assessment; Survival Rate; Troponin T

This article contains a series of reports on recent research developments in the field of heart failure. Reports of key presentations made at the European Society of Cardiology meeting, held in Vienna, Austria, between 30 August and 3 September 2003 are reported. In the CHARM study, candesartan reduced cardiovascular deaths and hospital admissions for heart failure, both in patients who were already taking an ACE-inhibitor and in those who were ACE intolerant. However, results in patients with preserved left ventricular function were less conclusive. The BASEL study supports the use of B-type natriuretic peptide testing to confirm the diagnosis of heart failure in patients presenting with acute dyspnoea. In EUROPA, the largest ever study of secondary prevention of coronary artery disease, long-term treatment with perindopril reduced the incidence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiac arrest. The ESTEEM study showed that the oral thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran plus aspirin was more effective than aspirin alone in the prophylaxis of major cardiovascular events following MI.

Topics: Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Aspirin; Azetidines; Benzimidazoles; Benzylamines; Biphenyl Compounds; Coronary Disease; Europe; Heart Failure; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Perindopril; Prodrugs; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Tetrazoles

We sought to examine whether measurements of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), in addition to cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), improve the ability to identify high-risk patients who benefit from an early invasive strategy.. Biochemical indicators of cardiac performance (e.g., NT-proBNP), inflammation (e.g., IL-6), and myocardial damage (e.g., cTnT) predict mortality in unstable coronary artery disease (UCAD) (i.e., unstable angina or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [MI]). In these patients, an early invasive treatment strategy improves the outcome.. Levels of NT-proBNP, cTnT, and IL-6 were measured in 2,019 patients with UCAD randomized to an invasive or non-invasive strategy in the FRagmin and fast revascularization during InStability in Coronary artery disease (FRISC-II) trial. Patients were followed up for two years to determine death and MI.. Patients in the third NT-proBNP tertile had a 4.1-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.4 to 7.2) and 3.5-fold (95% CI 1.8 to 6.8) increased mortality in the non-invasive and invasive groups, respectively. An increased NT-proBNP level was independently associated with mortality. In patients with increased levels of both NT-proBNP and IL-6, an early invasive strategy reduced mortality by 7.3% (risk ratio 0.46, 95% CI 0.21 to 1.00). In patients with lower NT-proBNP or IL-6 levels, the mortality was not reduced. Only elevated cTnT was independently associated with future MI and a reduction of MI by means of an invasive strategy.. N-terminal proBNP is independently associated with mortality. The combination of NT-proBNP and IL-6 seems to be a useful tool in the identification of patients with a definite survival benefit from an early invasive strategy. Only cTnT is independently associated with future MI and a reduction of MI by an invasive strategy.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Echoencephalography; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-6; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Necrosis; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Troponin T

Topics: Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Humans; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Risk Assessment

In patients with symptoms of heart failure, elevations in B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) accurately identify ventricular dysfunction. However, BNP levels are not specific for ventricular dysfunction in patients who do not have overt symptoms of heart failure, suggesting that other cardiac processes such as myocardial ischemia may also cause elevations in BNP.. To determine whether BNP elevations are associated with myocardial ischemia, we measured plasma BNP levels before performing exercise treadmill testing with stress echocardiography in outpatients with stable coronary disease. Of the 355 participants, 113 (32%) had inducible ischemia. Compared with participants in the lowest BNP quartile (0 to 16.4 pg/mL), those in the highest quartile of BNP (> or =105 pg/mL) had double the risk of inducible ischemia (adjusted relative risk, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.6; P=0.008). The relation between elevated BNP levels and inducible ischemia was especially evident in the 206 participants who had a history of myocardial infarction (adjusted relative risk, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.5 to 3.7, P=0.002) and was absent in those without a history of myocardial infarction (adjusted relative risk, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.3 to 2.2; P=0.9). This association between BNP levels and inducible ischemia remained strong after adjustment for measures of systolic and diastolic dysfunction.. Elevated levels of BNP are independently associated with inducible ischemia among outpatients with stable coronary disease, particularly among those with a history of myocardial infarction. The observed association between BNP levels and ischemia may explain why tests for BNP are not specific for ventricular dysfunction among patients with coronary disease.

Topics: Aged; Cohort Studies; Coronary Disease; Echocardiography, Stress; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prospective Studies

Topics: Angina, Unstable; Biomarkers; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease; Humans; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Risk Assessment

We prospectively tested the hypothesis that atrial enlargement and increased level of atrial natriuretic peptide, N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide would predict atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting.. Eighty-eight elective coronary artery bypass grafting patients had preoperative echocardiographic assessment. The level of atrial natriuretic peptide, N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide were measured preoperatively. Patients were ECG- monitored during the whole hospital stay.. Thirty one (35.2%) patients had postoperative atrial fibrillation. In univariate analysis increased age (P=0.003), enlargement of left and right atria (P=0.002 and P=0.004, respectively) and increased level of preoperative atrial natriuretic peptide and N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide (P=0.016 and P=0.03, respectively) were associated with postoperative atrial fibrillation. There was correlation between the age and level of N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide (r=0.45 and P<0.001). In multivariate analysis only age and the left atrial enlargement were independent predictors of postoperative atrial fibrillation (P=0.02 and P=0.01).. Left atrial enlargement was independent predictor for postoperative atrial fibrillation. However, atrial peptides were associated with age and did not independently predict postoperative atrial fibrillation. In addition, the wide variation of the peptide levels renders the implementation of this measure in clinical practice superfluous.

Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Atrial Fibrillation; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Atria; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Protein Precursors; Risk Factors

Conflict exists regarding the usefulness of measuring plasma B type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations for identifying impaired left ventricular (LV) systolic function during mass screening. Various cardiac abnormalities, regardless of degree of LV dysfunction, are prone to carry a high risk of cardiovascular events.. To examine the validity of plasma BNP measurement for detection of various cardiac abnormalities in a population with a low prevalence of coronary heart disease and LV systolic dysfunction.. Participants in this cross sectional study attended a health screening programme in Iwate, northern Japan. Plasma BNP concentrations were determined in 1098 consecutive subjects (mean age 56 years) by direct radioimmunoassay. All subjects underwent multiphasic health checkups including physical examination, ECG, chest radiography, and transthoracic echocardiography.. Conventional diagnostic methods showed 39 subjects to have a wide range of cardiac abnormalities: lone atrial fibrillation or flutter in 11; previous myocardial infarction in seven; valvar heart disease in seven; hypertensive heart disease in six; cardiomyopathy in six; atrial septal defect in one; and cor pulmonale in one. No subjects had a low LV ejection fraction (< 40%). To assess the utility of plasma BNP measurement for identification of such patients, receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed. The optimal threshold for identification was a BNP concentration of 50 pg/ml with sensitivity of 89.7% and specificity of 95.7%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.970. The positive and negative predictive values at the cutoff level were 44.3% and 99.6%, respectively.. Measurement of plasma BNP concentration is a very efficient and cost effective mass screening technique for identifying patients with various cardiac abnormalities regardless of aetiology and degree of LV systolic dysfunction that can potentially develop into obvious heart failure and carry a high risk of a cardiovascular event.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Japan; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; ROC Curve; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Most patients (about 85%) seen in the ED to rule out an acute coronary event do not have acute coronary disease. In addition, the presenting ECG findings have been nondiagnostic in 50% of patients with acute MI. Our current knowledge of atherosclerosis as being a chronic low-grade inflammatory process triggered the search for reliable serum markers that have improved the diagnostic accuracy management and prognosis of this prevalent disease. Newer and potential inflammatory markers currently under investigation deserve watching in future reports. These among others include those markers produced by the arterial wall itself, that is, cell adhesion molecules (CAM), inter-cellular adhesion molecules (ICAM), and vascular adhesion molecules (VCAM). The expression of CAM is a marker of dysfunctional endothelial cells. It is likely that more cardiac markers will be reported in the future. Time will tell.

Topics: Acute Disease; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A; Syndrome

In patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), troponin I (TnI), C-reactive protein (CRP), and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) each predict adverse cardiac events. Little is known, however, about the utility of these biomarkers in combination.. Baseline measurements of TnI, CRP, and BNP were performed in 450 patients in OPUS-TIMI 16. Elevations in TnI, CRP, and BNP each were independent predictors of the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or congestive heart failure (CHF). When patients were categorized on the basis of the number of elevated biomarkers at presentation, there was a near doubling of the mortality risk for each additional biomarker that was elevated (P=0.01). Similar relationships existed for the endpoints of MI, CHF, and the composite, both at 30 days and through 10 months. In a validation cohort of 1635 patients in TACTICS-TIMI 18, the number of elevated biomarkers remained a significant predictor of the composite endpoint after adjustment for known clinical predictors: patients with one, two, and three elevated biomarkers had a 2.1- (P=0.006), 3.1- (P<0.001), and 3.7- (P=0.001) fold increase in the risk of death, MI, or CHF by 6 months.. Troponin, CRP, and BNP each provide unique prognostic information in patients with ACS. A simple multimarker strategy that categorizes patients based on the number of elevated biomarkers at presentation allows risk stratification over a broad range of short- and long-term major cardiac events.

Topics: Acute Disease; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Cohort Studies; Coronary Disease; Heart Failure; Humans; Multivariate Analysis; Myocardial Infarction; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Syndrome; Troponin I

Experimental studies have demonstrated that adrenomedullin (AM) has a positive inotropic action and exerts inhibitory effects against ventricular remodelling as an autocrine and paracrine factor. However, there is no clinical evidence for AM acting as a local regulator in the human heart. We measured the levels of various molecular forms of AM, i.e. an active form of mature AM (AM-m), an intermediate inactive form of glycine-extended AM (AM-Gly) and total AM (AM-T=AM-m+AM-Gly), in plasma and pericardial fluid using our newly developed immunoradiometric assay in consecutive 67 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Pericardial fluid and plasma cAMP, atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide levels were also measured. The relationships between pericardial fluid AM levels and ventricular functions and other hormone levels were analysed. The level of each molecular form of AM in pericardial fluid was closely correlated with that of the other molecular forms of AM in the fluid. However, levels were not correlated with those in plasma. AM-T levels were slightly higher in pericardial fluid than in plasma (+72%; P<0.05), whereas AM-m levels and AM-m/AM-T ratios were markedly higher in pericardial fluid than in plasma (AM-m, +994%; AM-m/AM-T ratio, +443%; both P<0.01). AM-m, AM-Gly and AM-T levels in pericardial fluid were correlated with indices of left ventricular function, and with atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide levels. Interestingly, AM and cAMP levels were positively correlated in plasma, but negatively correlated in pericardial fluid. In addition, AM-m, AM-Gly and AM-T levels in pericardial fluid were higher in patients with acute coronary syndrome than in those with stable ischaemic heart disease (AM-m, +80%; AM-Gly, +96%; AM-T, +83%; all P<0.01). These results suggest that AM in pericardial fluid reflects cardiac synthesis, and that enhanced cardiac secretion of AM is associated with left ventricular dysfunction, ventricular overload and myocardial ischaemia. Considering that AM has positive inotropic, coronary vasodilatory and anti-remodelling actions, increased cardiac AM may play a compensatory role in the ischaemic and failing myocardium.

Topics: Adrenomedullin; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Cyclic AMP; Female; Humans; Immunoradiometric Assay; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptides; Pericardial Effusion; Ventricular Function, Left

Fluctuations in the level of blood natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) were compared between 41 patients who underwent conventional coronary artery bypass (CCAB) and 19 patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB). A blood sample was collected before surgery, and 6, 12 and 24 hours; 2, 3, 5 and 7 days; and 1 month after the end of extracorporeal circulation. There were no significant differences in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) before and after surgery in either group or between the two groups. On average, 3.3 +/- 1.0 bypass grafts were used for the CCAB group, and 2.2 +/- 0.8 grafts for the OPCAB group. Furthermore, the maximum postoperative creatine phosphokinase-MB (CK-MB) level for the CCAB group was 49.1 +/- 17.5 IU/l, whereas that for the OPCAB group was significantly lower at 23.2 +/- 24.8 IU/l. The preoperative level of blood ANP for the CCAB group was 24.6 +/- 19.9 pg/ml while that for the OPCAB group was 39.3 +/- 29.5 pg/ml, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. In both groups, the level of blood ANP reached a peak three days after the end of extracorporeal circulation and then decreased after that point. Although the level of blood ANP for the OPCAB group decreased to 51.4 +/- 26.4 pg/ml one month after the end of extracorporeal circulation, that for the CCAB group one month after the end of extracorporeal circulation remained significantly high at 61.3 +/- 30.6 pg/ml, when compared to that before surgery. Furthermore, the preoperative level of blood BNP for the CCAB group was 40.0 +/- 35.2 pg/ml and that for the OPCAB group was 75.5 +/- 59.7 pg/ml, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. Then, in both groups, the level of blood BNP reached a peak 2-5 days after the end of extracorporeal circulation and then decreased after that. Whereas the level of blood BNP for the OPCAB group decreased to 96.4 +/- 56.0 pg/ml one month after the end of extracorporeal circulation, that for the CCAB group one month after the end of extracorporeal circulation remained significantly high at 160.3 +/- 106.2 pg/ml when compared to that before surgery. The levels of ANP and BNP increased postoperatively for both OPCAB and CCAB groups since the following events caused a great degree of stress on the heart: general anesthesia, cardiac herniation, stabilizer compression, regional blood flow blockage and reperfusion injury. Although the level of natriuretic peptides for the CCAB group remain

Topics: Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Postoperative Period

A noninvasive biochemical testing method for early detection and monitoring the condition of cardiac complications in hemodialysis (HD) patients would be useful and might lead to improved survival. The aim of this study is to clarify the pathophysiological significance of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in HD patients with and without coronary artery disease (CAD). We measured plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and BNP levels on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before and after HD in 28 consecutive patients who underwent HD three times weekly. In addition, we measured plasma ANP and BNP levels in 21 HD patients with CAD and 27 HD patients without CAD and studied the relationships between BNP levels and cardiac function and clinical variables. Plasma ANP levels significantly decreased after HD on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and predialysis plasma ANP levels on Monday were significantly greater than those on other days. Plasma BNP levels did not change after HD on Monday; however, they significantly decreased after HD on Wednesday and FRIDAY: Predialysis plasma BNP levels on Monday were greater than those on other days, and postdialysis plasma BNP levels on Monday were greater than predialysis plasma BNP levels on WEDNESDAY: Plasma BNP levels in HD patients with CAD were significantly greater than those in HD patients without CAD and significantly correlated with left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (r = -0.69), end-diastolic volume index (r = 0.59), and end-systolic volume index (r = 0.84) determined by left ventriculography. Conversely, plasma BNP levels in HD patients without CAD significantly correlated with LV mass index (r = 0.54) determined by echocardiography and mean systolic blood pressure (r = 0.72) determined by 48-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. These results suggest the following: (1) plasma BNP levels before and after HD in chronic HD patients directly correlate with the degree of body fluid retention, and the day of the week on which the sample is obtained should be considered for its evaluation; (2) plasma BNP levels reflect LV function in HD patients with CAD; and (3) plasma BNP levels reflect LV mass and blood pressure in HD patients without CAD.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Blood Pressure; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Renal Dialysis

To investigate whether oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics during low intensity exercise are related to clinical signs, symptoms, and neurohumoral activation independently of peak oxygen consumption in chronic heart failure.. Comparison of VO2 kinetics with peak VO2, neurohormones, and clinical signs of chronic heart failure.. Tertiary care centre.. 48 patients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure.. Treadmill exercise testing with "breath by breath" gas exchange monitoring. Measurement of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and noradrenaline. Assessment of clinical findings by questionnaire.. O2 kinetics were defined as O2 deficit (time [rest to steady state] x DeltaVO2 -sigmaVO2 [rest to steady state]; normalised to body weight) and mean response time of oxygen consumption (MRT; O2 deficit/DeltaVO2).. VO2 kinetics were weakly to moderately correlated to the peak VO2 (O2 deficit, r = -0.37, p < 0.05; MRT, r = -0.49, p < 0.001). Natriuretic peptides were more closely correlated with MRT (ANF, r = 0.58; BNP, r = 0.53, p < 0.001) than with O2 deficit (ANF, r = 0.48, p = 0.001; BNP, r = 0.37, p < 0.01) or peak VO2 (ANF, r = -0.40; BNP, r = -0.31, p < 0.05). Noradrenaline was correlated with MRT (r = 0. 33, p < 0.05) and O2 deficit (r = 0.39, p < 0.01) but not with peak VO2 (r = -0.20, NS). Symptoms of chronic heart failure were correlated with all indices of oxygen consumption (MRT, r = 0.47, p < 0.01; O2 deficit, r = 0.39, p < 0.01; peak VO2, r = -0.48, p < 0. 01). Multivariate analysis showed that the correlation of VO2 kinetics with neurohormones and symptoms of chronic heart failure was independent of peak VO2 and other variables.. Oxygen kinetics during low intensity exercise may provide additional information over peak VO2 in patients with chronic heart failure, given the better correlation with neurohormones which represent an index of homeostasis of the cardiovascular system.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Coronary Disease; Exercise; Exercise Test; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Norepinephrine; Oxygen Consumption; Regression Analysis; Statistics, Nonparametric; Time Factors

A novel, highly sensitive and specific N-Terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) assay based on a sandwich format has been developed. The assay time is below 2 hours and no extraction process is needed. The calibration curve covers a NT-proBNP concentration range from 0 pmol/L up to 600 pmol/L. The analytical detection limit of the assay was estimated to be 2.7 pmol/L (3 SD). The intra-assay coefficient of variation is 5.7% (at 50 pmol/L) and 6.1% (at 250 pmol/L), while the inter-assay CVs are 15.8% (15 pmol/L) and 8.2% (250 pmol/L). There is no significant interference by bilirubin (up to 900 mumol/L), haemoglobin (up to 10 g/L), rheumatoid factors (up to 975 IU/mL), triglycerides (up to 20.5 mmol/L), biotin (up to 50 micrograms/L), digoxin (up to 100 micrograms/L) and digitoxin (up to 200 micrograms/L). The analyte NT-proBNP is fully stable in whole blood over 3 days and in EDTA-plasma over 24 hours. This good stability of NT-proBNP compared to other less stable natriuretic peptides is a significant advantage and a main prerequisite for a routine diagnostic marker. Preliminary results of using this new assay in clinical studies for diagnosing and monitoring left ventricular dysfunction demonstrate that there is a significant gain in diagnostic validity.

Topics: Antibodies, Monoclonal; Biomarkers; Calibration; Chelating Agents; Chemistry, Clinical; Coronary Disease; Edetic Acid; Humans; Immunoassay; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Protein Precursors; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentration increases during ventricular arrhythmias and rapid ventricular pacing but less is known about plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and endothelin (ET-1). In the present study concentrations of ANP, the amino terminal part of the proANP (NT-proANP), BNP, and ET-1 were measured in the coronary sinus and femoral artery before and at the end of rapid ventricular pacing in 15 patients with coronary arterial disease. The changes were compared with the changes in mean arterial blood pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), transcardiac differences in pH, pCO2, lactate, and norepinephrine. There was an increase in PCWP and a transient decrease in blood pressure after initiation of pacing. Pacing caused a decrease in ST-segment, transcardiac difference of norepinephrine, lactate extraction, pCO2 difference, and an increase in pH difference. Concentration of ANP in the coronary sinus and femoral artery and its transcardiac difference increased during pacing (P < 0.001), whereas changes in NT-proANP were small and BNP and ET-1 levels remained unchanged. The change in transcardiac ANP difference correlated with the change in lactate (r = 0.53, P < 0.05) but not that of norepinephrine, PCWP, or blood pressure. The results show that the plasma concentration of ANP increases more than that of NT-proANP during rapid ventricular pacing. Ischemia-induced release of ANP and its diminished elimination may contribute to the increased plasma ANP level.

Topics: Aged; Angina Pectoris; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; Coronary Disease; Endothelin-1; Energy Metabolism; Female; Heart Rate; Heart Ventricles; Hemodynamics; Humans; Lactic Acid; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardium; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP, respectively) represent autocrine/paracrine factors and are accumulated in pericardial fluid.. ANP and BNP, systemic hormones produced by the heart, have elevated circulating levels in patients with heart failure. Recent evidence suggests that the heart itself is one of the target organs for these peptides.. With an immunoreactive radiometric assay, we measured the concentrations of these peptides in plasma and pericardial fluid simultaneously in 28 patients during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.. The pericardial levels of BNP were markedly elevated in patients with impaired left ventricular function. We investigated the correlation of ANP and BNP levels in plasma or pericardial fluid with left ventricular hemodynamic variables. None of the hemodynamic variables correlated with ANP levels in plasma or pericardial fluid. Both plasma and pericardial fluid levels of BNP were significantly related to left ventricular end-diastolic and systolic volume indexes (LVEDVI and LVESVI, respectively). In addition, BNP pericardial fluid levels had closer relations with LVEDVI (r = 0.679, p < 0.0001) and LVESVI (r = 0.686, p < 0.0001) than did BNP plasma levels (LVEDVI: r = 0.567, p = 0.0017; LVESVI: r = 0.607, p = 0.0010). BNP levels in pericardial fluid but not in plasma correlated with left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (r = 0.495, p = 0.0074).. BNP levels in pericardial fluid served as more sensitive and accurate indicators of left ventricular dysfunction than did BNP levels in plasma. Thus, BNP may be secreted from the heart into the pericardial space in response to left ventricular dysfunction, and it may have a pathophysiologic role in heart failure as an autocrine/paracrine factor.

Topics: Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Autocrine Communication; Biomarkers; Cardiac Output, Low; Cardiac Volume; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Diastole; Female; Hemodynamics; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Mitral Valve Insufficiency; Myocardial Ischemia; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Paracrine Communication; Pericardial Effusion; Radioimmunoassay; Systole; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left; Ventricular Function, Left; Ventricular Pressure

Cardiac natriuretic peptides are activated in heart failure. However, their diagnostic and prognostic values have not been compared under the routine conditions of an outpatient practice.. We studied the diagnostic and prognostic value of plasma N- and C-terminal peptides of the atrial natriuretic factor prohormone (N-proANF and ANF respectively) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) to evaluate the severity of congestive heart failure (CHF) as reflected by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification and to predict its 2-year mortality. Peripheral plasma concentrations of the three natriuretic peptides were measured in 27 normal subjects (CTR), in 32 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and normal left ventricular ejection fraction and in 101 patients with chronic CHF in functional classes I and II (n = 61) or III and IV (n = 40).. Plasma concentrations of the three peptides increased in the presence of CHF in relation to its severity (P < 0.01). BNP was unable to distinguish CTR from CAD, just as ANF could not differentiate CAD from CHF I-II; only N-proANF displayed a significant and continuous increase from CTR to CAD, CHF I-II and III-IV. Receiver-operating characteristic curves showed better evaluation of the degree of CHF by BNP than by ANF or ejection fraction (P < 0.05). Assessment of the 2-year prognosis revealed that N-proANF and BNP were the best independent predictors of outcome after the NYHA classification. These peptides identify a very high-mortality group.. Plasma N-proANF and BNP concentrations are good indicators of the severity and prognosis of CHF in an outpatient practice. CAD does not stimulate BNP as long as ventricular dysfunction is not present, although increased N-proANF levels in this setting suggest an early humoral activation.

Topics: Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Chronic Disease; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Outpatients; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Protein Precursors; Survival Analysis; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Human brain natriuretic peptide-32 (BNP) (i.e. proBNP(77-108)), the mature form of BNP and secreted predominantly by the cardiac ventricle, is formed from a high molecular weight precursor, proBNP(1-108). We have recently identified the aminoterminal form proBNP(1-76) (NT-proBNP) in human plasma but its source, metabolism and production in circulatory disorders are unknown. We have investigated the relationship between immunoreactive (IR) NT-proBNP and BNP-32 in normal and hypertensive subjects and in patients with cardiac impairment, as well as the regional plasma concentrations in patients undergoing routine cardiac catheterization.. Plasma hormone measurements were made in 26 normal subjects, 20 subjects with untreated mild hypertension and 111 treated patients with a history of coronary heart disease and documented cardiac impairment (left ventricular election fraction (LVEF) < 45% (mean 29%); 25 NYHA Class I, 65 Class II and 21 Class III). Regional blood sampling from the femoral artery, femoral vein, renal vein and coronary sinus was undertaken in 14 patients presenting for left and right cardiac catheterization studies in the course of standard investigation for a range of cardiac disorders.. Plasma samples were assayed for IR NT-proBNP and IR BNP-32 (and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in the regional blood samples). In the patients with cardiac impairment, LVEF was determined by gated radionuclide ventriculography, exercise capacity was measured using a modified Naughton multistage protocol and creatinine clearance was calculated from plasma creatinine, age and weight. In the regional study, extraction ratios across the kidney and lower limb (and step-ups across the heart) were calculated from plasma peptide concentrations.. In normal subjects mean IR NT-proBNP levels (10.8 +/- 1.3 pmol/L) were similar to levels of IR BNP-32 (9.7 +/- 0.5 pmol/L). In hypertensive patients the levels of IR NT-proBNP and IR BNP-32 tended to be higher than but were not significantly different from normal subjects. Both IR NT-proBNP and IR BNP-32 were raised in NYHA Classes I, II and III compared with normals (P < 0.001 for all) with higher levels of both BNP forms seen with increasing cardiac impairment. The levels of IR NT-proBNP were greater than IR BNP-32 in all NYHA Classes (P < 0.001) for all). Overall, the levels of IR NT-proBNP (129 +/- 12 pmol/L) were 4-fold higher than concomitant BNP-32 levels (29 +/- 2 pmol/L). Multivariate analysis showed that LVEF, exercise test time and creatinine clearance were independent predictors of IR NT-proBNP. In all study groups, the levels of IR NT-proBNP and IR BNP-32 levels were highly correlated. Regional plasma sampling showed similar step-ups in IR NT-proBNP and IR BNP-32 levels across the heart, together with similar extraction of both BNP forms across the kidney and lower limb. For both BNP forms, these changes across tissues were significantly less than for ANP.. Plasma levels of immunoreactive amino terminal-proBNP are raised in cardiac impairment, including NYHA Class I, and rise with increasing cardiac decompensation. Metabolism and tissue uptake of immunoreactive amino terminal-proBNP and immunoreactive BNP-32 appear similar. In cardiac impairment the proportional and absolute increment above normal levels of the aminoterminal BNP peptide exceeds that for BNP-32 and suggest that amino terminal-proBNP may be a more discerning marker of early cardiac dysfunction than BNP-32.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; Cardiac Catheterization; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Diseases; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Reference Values; Regression Analysis; Statistics, Nonparametric; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Resting plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide rise with left ventricular dysfunction, but little is known about effects of cardiac ischaemia on atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide levels during exercise. We investigated exercise levels of atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with suspected angina to determine whether these measurements could improve non-invasive assessment of coronary disease severity.. One hundred patients performed an exercise test (Bruce protocol) within 2 weeks of coronary angiography. Plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide were measured at rest and at peak exercise. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess effects of age, sex, coronary anatomy, exercise time and ventricular function on atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide levels. Increasing age and female sex were significantly associated with higher resting atrial natriuretic peptide levels; age alone was associated with higher exercise atrial natriuretic peptide levels. As expected, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and disease of left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries were associated with increased resting B-type natriuretic peptide levels. However, the usual rise in B-type natriuretic peptide levels during exercise was independently reduced by disease of the right coronary artery.. This paradoxical effect of right coronary artery disease limits the value of natriuretic peptide measurements as predictors of coronary disease severity. Impaired release of B-type natriuretic peptide may reduce exercise tolerance in patients with right coronary artery disease.

Topics: Age Factors; Angina Pectoris; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Disease; Exercise; Exercise Test; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Sex Factors

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are homeostatic hormones secreted from the human heart which protect both cardiac and the renal function. It is well known that these hormones increase in patients along with increases in the severity of congestive heart failure or acute myocardial infarction. However, as yet there are no reports in the literature on changes of the secreted level of ANP or BNP in surgical patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We evaluated the relationship between ANP, BNP, and perioperative cardiac and renal functions in patients with heart failure caused by CPB. We selected 45 patients of elective open heart surgery. We measured plasma level of ANP in all 45 cases, and BNP in 18 cases at preoperation, postoperation, and postoperatively three days after, respectively. At the same time, the cardiac index (CI) was measured. These cases were divided into the following groups. Group A1 (n = 23): cases in which the preoperative ANP was less than 40 pg/ ml. Group A2 (n = 22): cases in which the preoperative ANP was more than 40. Group B1 (n = 8): cases in which the preoperative BNP is increased to the level of 5 times as mach as the normal level. Group B2 (n = 8): cases in which the preoperative BNP is increased to the level of 5 times as much as the normal level. Group B2 (n = 10): cases in which the preoperative BNP was more than that of 10 times as mach as normal level. We then carried out a comparative study of the perioperative cardiac and renal functions in group A1 and A2, and group B1 and B2, respectively. In the terms of preoperative cardiac and renal function, there were no significant differences between groups A1 and A2, and there were no significant differences in urinary volume during CPB or post operative CI. However, the urinary volume during CPB of group B1 was significantly more than that of B2. Furthermore, the incidence of postoperative CI in group B1. Furthermore, the incidence of postoperative CI in group B1 was significantly higher than in B2. The preoperative and post operative third day BNP level had significant negative correlations with postoperative CI and postoperative third day CI, respectively (r = -0.641, -0.514, p = 0.008, 0.012). The postoperative ANP and BNP levels tend to a mean level roughly similar to one another because of the easing of cardiac stress by surgery and postoperative management. According to these results and several instances in the literature, a

Topics: Aged; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Cardiopulmonary Bypass; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; Hemodynamics; Humans; Kidney; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) plasma concentrations were measured in patients with dialysis-dependent chronic renal failure and in patients with coronary artery disease exhibiting normal or elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) (n = 30 each). Blood samples were obtained from the arterial line of the arteriovenous shunt before, 2 h after the beginning of, and at the end of hemodialysis in patients with chronic renal failure. In patients with coronary artery disease arterial blood samples were collected during cardiac catheterization. BNP and ANP concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay after Sep Pak C18 extraction. BNP and ANP concentrations decreased significantly (P < 0.001) during hemodialysis (BNP: 192.1 +/- 24.9, 178.6 +/- 23.0, 167.2 +/- 21.8 pg/ml; ANP: 240.2 +/- 28.7, 166.7 +/- 21.3, 133.0 +/- 15.5 pg/ml). The decrease in BNP plasma concentrations, however, was less marked than that in ANP plasma levels (BNP 13.5 +/- 1.8%, ANP 40.2 +/- 3.5%; P < 0.001). Plasma BNP and ANP concentrations were 10.7 +/- 1.0 and 60.3 +/- 4.0 pg/ml in patients with normal LVEDP and 31.7 +/- 3.6 and 118.3 +/- 9.4 pg/ml in patients with elevated LVEDP. These data demonstrate that BNP and ANP levels are strongly elevated in patients with dialysis-dependent chronic renal failure compared to patients with normal LVEDP (BNP 15.6-fold, ANP 2.2-fold, after hemodialysis; P < 0.001) or elevated LVEDP (BNP 6.1-fold, ANP 2.0-fold, before hemodialysis; P < 0.001), and that the elevation in BNP concentrations was more pronounced than that in ANP plasma concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Renal Dialysis; Ventricular Pressure

The present study was designed to investigate whether brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) plasma concentrations correlate with left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), diastolic pulmonary arterial pressure (DPAP), right atrial pressure (RAP), or ejection fraction (EF). Plasma BNP and ANP levels were determined by commercial radioimmunoassays (Peninsula) after Sep Pak C18 extraction in blood samples withdrawn from the pulmonary artery and the left ventricle or from the left ventricle and the femoral vein in 85 patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization. Linear and nonlinear regression analysis and the paired sample t-test were applied to the data. Pulmonary arterial plasma BNP and ANP levels showed a close nonlinear correlation with LVEDP (BNP: r = 0.94, p < 0.001; ANP: r = 0.81, p < 0.001), a significant linear correlation with PCWP, DPAP, and RAP, and a significant negative correlation with EF. ANP concentrations decreased significantly from the pulmonary artery to the left ventricle and from the left ventricle to the femoral vein (p < 0.001). BNP levels also decreased significantly between the left ventricle and the femoral vein (p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference between pulmonary arterial and left ventricular BNP concentrations. BNP and ANP concentrations correlated significantly between pulmonary arterial and left ventricular blood samples (BNP: r = 0.99, ANP: r = 0.93, p < 0.001) and between left ventricular and peripheral blood samples (BNP: r = 0.99, ANP: r = 0.94, p < 0.001). The present data suggest that peripheral plasma BNP and ANP levels are useful non-invasive indices of cardiac performance.

Topics: Atrial Function, Right; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cardiac Catheterization; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; Radioimmunoassay; Regression Analysis; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function, Left

Atrial amyloid deposits are common in the ageing human heart and contain alpha-atrial natriuretic peptide (proANP99-126) immunoreactivity. However, atrial myocytes secrete both amino and carboxy terminal fragments of the ANP prohormone (proANP1-126) and also express an homologous, but separate brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Characteristic amyloid deposits were identified in the atria of 9/22 patients (26-63 years of age) with end-stage heart failure. Amyloid fibrils displayed immunoreactivity for both amino and carboxy terminal fragments of proANP1-126 and for the distinct BNP sequence. As in other endocrine organs, both mature and precursor peptide sequences appear to be constituents of amyloid fibrils. Whilst immunoreactivity for cardiac peptide hormones is co-localized in atrial amyloid deposits, it is uncertain whether the increase in natriuretic peptide expression which accompanies cardiac failure contributes to the incidence of isolated atrial amyloidosis.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Amyloid; Amyloidosis; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cardiomyopathies; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Atria; Heart Diseases; Heart Valve Diseases; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Middle Aged; Muscle Proteins; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptide Fragments; Protein Precursors