Which BNP Better Predicts CV Events in Stable Coronary Heart Disease?

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Rakesh K. Mishra, MD
San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
San Francisco, CA 94121.

Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Mishra: Increased levels of both BNP and NT-proBNP are associated with elevated risk of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary artery disease. However, when added to existing clinical models of risk, NT-proBNP is superior to BNP for risk reclassification.

Medical Research: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. Mishra: Prior literature has suggested that BNP and NT-proBNP are equivalent markers of risk in stable coronary artery disease. We, however, found that, though both B-type natriuretic peptides are associated with risk of adverse cardiovascular events, NT-proBNP performs better than BNP for risk classification.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Mishra: When determining risk of adverse cardiovascular events in stable coronary artery disease, both BNP and NT-proBNP enhance risk models consisting of clinical variables alone. However, NT-proBNP may be superior to BNP for risk classification.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Mishra :Future research should determine whether the differences we noted between NT-proBNP and BNP in stable coronary disease also hold in other disease states such as acute coronary syndrome, asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis, chronic kidney disease, etc.

ECitation:

B‐type Natriuretic Peptides for the Prediction of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Stable Coronary Heart Disease: The Heart and Soul Study

Rakesh K. Mishra, Alexis L. Beatty, Rajesh Jaganath, Mathilda Regan, Alan H.B. Wu, and Mary A. Whooley

J Am Heart Assoc. 2014;3:e000907, originally published July 22, 2014, doi:10.1161/JAHA.114.000907

Last Updated on August 8, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD