BACKGROUND Tobacco use is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease. N-terminal pro-brain natiuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a widely available biomarker that is associated with cardiovascular outcomes in other conditions, has not been investigated as a predictor of mortality in tobacco smokers. We hypothesized that NT-proBNP would be an independent prognostic marker in a c...

Background: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the inactive amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) have a prognostic value in heart failure and in myocardial infarction. There has been some evidence that BNP and NT-proBNP can be used in the diagnosis of myocardial ischaemia by improving the sensitivity of exercise-stress testing. Objective: To observe the relationship betwee...

OBJECTIVES This study was designed to determine whether measurement of plasma pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (proBNP) could be used in discriminating between cardiac and pulmonary dyspnea in the general population. BACKGROUND Natriuretic peptides are useful markers in ruling out acute cardiac dyspnea in the emergency department, but their diagnostic significance in evaluating chronic dyspnea ...

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease is prevalent and frequently unrecognized in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). NT-proBNP is an established risk factor in patients with heart failure. NT-proBNP may also be released from the right ventricle. Thus serum NT-proBNP may be elevated during acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). The prognostic value of NT-proBNP in patients ho...

background: n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (nt-probnp) is a sensitive biomarker for the detection of asymptomatic left ventricular (lv) dysfunction. since β-thalassemia major patients suffer from early diastolic dysfunction due to iron deposition of chronic blood transfusion, we tried to evaluate the correlation between the serum nt-probnp level and the severity of lv diastolic dysfun...

Serum level of the N-terminal of the prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is an important factor in pregnancy-induced hypertension. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of serum NT-proBNP level in pregnant hypertensive patients with retinopathy. Patients divided into gestational hypertension, mild preeclampsia, and serious preeclampsia groups un...

Right ventricular systolic dysfunction (RVSD) at baseline (pre-treatment) predicts early death in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, RVSD can only be detected reliably by prohibitively invasive or expensive techniques. N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide concentration ([NT-proBNP]) correlates with RV function in PH; however, an [NT-proBNP] threshold that indicates RVSD in ind...

BACKGROUND Up to 40% of newborn infants of women with type 1 diabetes have echocardiographic signs of cardiomyopathy. Increased plasma concentrations of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and its precursor (proBNP) are markers of cardiac failure and hypoxia in adults. In this study, we investigated whether plasma concentrations of proBNP and/or BNP are increased in infants of women with type 1 di...

BACKGROUND An inverse relationship between body mass index (BMI) and circulating levels of N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) has been demonstrated in subjects with and without heart failure. Obesity also has been linked with increased incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF), but its influence on NT-proBNP concentrations in AF patients remains unclear. This study aimed to invest...

BACKGROUND The relationship between changes in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and echocardiographic or clinical definitions of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has not been evaluated. The aims of the present evaluation were to assess: (1) the relationship between changes in NT-proBNP after 6 months of CRT and clinical and echocardiographic responses; (2)...