Statins in High-Risk Patients with High NT-proBNP Levels

Elevated levels of the N-terminal fragment of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) have been associated with poor prognosis in patients with decompensated heart failure (Circulation 2002; 105:2392). These researchers sought to determine whether patients with NT-proBNP elevation that is consistent with a heart failure diagnosis benefit from lipid-lowering therapy. They conducted a subanalysis of the Heart Protection Study (HPS), a manufacturer-funded randomized trial of simvastatin (40 mg/day) versus placebo in 20,536 patients (age 40–80; minimum total-cholesterol level, 135 mg/dL) with coronary heart disease, other occlusive arterial disease, diabetes, or (in men older than 64) treated hypertension (Journal Watch Cardiology Aug 9 2002).

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