Clinical Significance of Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Patients with Postmyocardial Infarction

• Published in: Clinical cardiology (Mahwah, N.J.) Vol. 23; no. 12; pp. 921 - 927
• Main Authors: Bettencourt, Paulo, Ferreira, António, Pereira, Margarida, Pardal‐Oliveira, Nuno, Queir ós, ConceiçãO, Ara újo, Vitor, Cerqueira‐Gomes, MÁRio, Maciel, Maria JÚLia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.12.2000; Wiley
• Subjects: acute myocardial infarction; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; brain natriuretic peptide; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary heart disease; Diastole - physiology; diastolic function; Female; Heart; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction - blood; Myocardial Infarction - physiopathology; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain - analysis; Prognosis; restrictive pattern; Risk Assessment; ROC Curve; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - diagnosis; ventricular function; Human; Brain natriuretic peptide; Prognosis; Infarct; Follow up study; Myocardium; Cardiovascular disease; Left ventricle performance; Coronary heart disease; Myocardial disease; Survival
• ISSN: 0160-9289; 1932-8737
• DOI: 10.1002/clc.4960231213

Background: Risk stratification after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) includes the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) function. Natriuretic peptides, and particularly brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), emerged as a potential marker of ventricular function and prognosis after AMI. Hypothesis: Brain natriuretic peptide levels are related to ventricular function, either systolic or isolated diastolic, and can give prognostic information in patients surviving AMI. Methods: In all, 101 patients were enrolled. An echocardiographic (M‐mode, two‐dimensional, and pulsed Doppler) evaluation was performed and blood samples for BNP measurement were obtained. Clinical events were recorded during 12 months of follow‐up. Results: A negative correlation between BNP and LV ejection fraction was observed (r= ‐0.38; p<0.001). The BNP levels were higher among patients with LV systolic dysfunction than in patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction (339.1 ± 249.9 vs. 168.0 ± 110.5 pg/ml, p = 0.001). The latter had higher levels of BNP than those with normal LV function (68.3 ± 72.6 pg/ml, p < 0.001). The BNP accuracy to detect LV systolic dysfunction was good (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.83) and increased when isolated diastolic dysfunction was also considered (AUC = 0.87). Brain natriuretic peptide had a very good accuracy in the prediction of death (AUC = 0.95) and the development of heart failure (AUC = 0.90). Conclusion: These results extend previous evidence relating BNP to systolic function after AMI. Furthermore, a relationship between BNP levels and diastolic function was found. Brain natriuretic peptide had a very good performance in detecting the occurrence of an adverse event. We conclude that BNP can detect high‐risk patients and help select patients for more aggressive approaches.