OBJECTIVE The N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a reliable marker of cardiac strain. In hypertensive heart disease, NT-proBNP levels increase and may lose its protective function. Simultaneously, the vasculature is also subject to hemodynamic stress, resulting in vascular matrix remodeling and stiffening which contribute to further cardiac alterations. Alkaline pho...

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality following non-cardiac thoracic operations. Recent studies have demonstrated that elevation of N-Terminal Pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels can predict cardiac complications following non-cardiac major surgery as well as cardiac surgery. However, there is little information on the correlation betw...

BACKGROUND Models to stratify risk for patients hospitalised for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) do not include the change in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels during hospitalisation. OBJECTIVE The aim of our study was to develop a simple yet robust discharge prognostication score including NT-proBNP for this notorious high-risk population. DESIGN Individ...

BACKGROUND Reductions in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations after treatment have been associated with improved survival in people with congestive heart failure (CHF), but have not been reported in cats with CHF. OBJECTIVES To evaluate changes in NT-proBNP concentrations in cats with CHF after treatment and determine whether serial NT-proBNP measurements provi...

BACKGROUND Prior study showed HCV-infected patients have increased serum N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) and a possible left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. The objectives of the present paper were to investigate the characteristics of hs-CRP and its correlation with clinical profiles including NT-proBNP and echocardiographic variables in HCV-infected patients. METHOD...

BACKGROUND Measurement of amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is useful for evaluating patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS We evaluated the performance of a new automated NT-proBNP assay. RESULTS The VITROS NT-proBNP assay had mean within-run and total imprecision of 1.0% and 3.4% at NT-proBNP concentrations from 67-27,500 ng/l. Acceptable linearity, functional/a...

AIM To assess endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) counts, a novel prognostic marker, in relation to classical adverse outcome predictors - N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), impaired left ventricular (LV) relaxation and exercise-induced ischemia - in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) with preserved LV systolic function. METHODS We studied 30 non-diabetic men with one-ves...

BACKGROUND Cardiac dysfunction is common in acute respiratory diseases and may influence prognosis. We hypothesised that blood levels of N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity Troponin T would predict mortality in adults with community-acquired pneumonia. METHODS AND FINDINGS A prospective cohort of 474 consecutive patients admitted with community-acquired pneu...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this work was to assess the effect of percutaneous coronary revascularization (PCR) on plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration. BACKGROUND Left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is associated with increased plasma natriuretic peptide concentrations. The effect of ischemia resolution on plasma natriuretic peptide is not known. METHODS T...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of tamoxifen on the plasma concentration of NT-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer and to correlate changes in NT-proBNP with the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Over a period of 12 months, we followed 60 women with a diagnosis of breast cancer. The patients were separated...