BACKGROUND The urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) is a significant neurologic prognostic predictor in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) plays an important role in body fluid regulation in patients with SAH. The present study was performed to determine whether ACR was independent predictor for unfavorable neurological outcome and ACR was...

BACKGROUND COPD increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. Dyspnea on exertion can be associated with COPD or heart failure or both. N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) is a marker of cardiac dysfunction, and exercise testing can identify subtle heart abnormalities. OBJECTIVE To determine whether cardiac dysfunction adds to the mechanism of dyspnea caused primarily by im...

BACKGROUND Cardiac amyloidosis is a fatal disease whose prognosis and treatment rely on identification of the amyloid type. In our aging population transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt) is common and must be differentiated from other amyloid types. We report the clinical presentation, natural history, and prognostic features of ATTRwt compared with cardiac-isolated AL amyloidosis and calculate the...

BACKGROUND Objective methods to assess the adequacy of medication therapy for patients with advanced heart failure are lacking. Serial measurements of biomarkers might be beneficial. Therapy guided by N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) might be helpful because NT-proBNP should be lowered by therapies that decrease endogenous BNP secretion. METHODS NT-proBNP and BNP were mea...

This study investigated the effects of three sport-specific high-intensity training units on cardiac biomarker alteration in elite athletes of dragon boating. Thirty six male (age 33 ± 9) and twenty nine female (age 31 ± 8) elite athletes, members of the German national team, were examined in their final training camp preparing for world championship. At two time points blood panels (pre-traini...

OBJECTIVE To determine the levels of NT-pro BNP in HIV patients over 40 years who are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and investigating potential independent clinical or laboratory factors. METHOD We determine levels of NT-pro BNP in peripheral blood of HIV patients from Costa del Sol Hospital, over 40 years. We collected epidemiological, classical cardiovascular risk f...

OBJECTIVES This study sought to compare the renal clearance mechanisms of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and amino terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). BACKGROUND The small molecular weight proteins (SMWPs) BNP and NT-proBNP both inversely correlate with glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Whether this association is causal or confounding is unknown and has been the basis of w...

The measurements of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP), when taken together with conventional clinical assessment, may assist in making the prognosis and also for making serial adjustment of such treatment. But although such commercial assays are currently approved for the diagnosis of heart failure, the role of the natriuretic peptides for monitoring the success ...

BACKGROUND Serum levels of N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are elevated in patients acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Recent studies showed a lower incidence of acute cor pulmonale in ARDS patients ventilated with lower tidal volumes. Consequently, serum levels of NT-proBNP may be lower in these patients. We investigated the relation between serum levels of NT-pro...