Predictive Value of Natriuretic Peptide in Coronary Heart Disease

Elevated levels were associated with increased risk for cardiac morbidity and mortality, but the clinical value of measuring these levels is still unclear.

Elevated levels of a fragment of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) have been used to predict severity and prognosis in congestive heart failure. Researchers used data from a prospective cohort study of 987 adults with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) to assess the predictive value of NT-proBNP more widely. Traditional cardiac risk factors and echocardiographic measures were assessed at baseline, and subjects were followed for a mean of nearly 4 years, during which 256 (26%) suffered a cardiac event (including heart failure) or died.

The median level of NT-proBNP was 175 pg/mL. The risk for cardiac events or death increased from 3% per year for subjects in the lowest quartile of NT-proBNP levels (8–74 pg/mL) to 20% per year in the hig…

Reviewing Author

Thomas L. Schwenk, MD