Interpretation of plasma brain natriuretic peptide concentrations may require adjustment for patient's age.
BACKGROUND
Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is increasingly recognized as a practical, reliable and accurate indicator of left ventricular function and may have an important prognostic role in determining outcome following myocardial infarction and heart failure.


RESULTS
We studied a total of 60 patients referred for dobutamine-stress echocardiography to evaluate possible reversible myocardial ischaemia. There was no echocardiographic evidence of structural or functional heart disease in any of the patients included in the study. Blood was sampled for BNP at rest, prior to dobutamine-stress. We found a significant linear correlation between BNP concentrations and patients' age, in the absence of structural or functional heart disease (r(s) = 0.53, 95% CI 0.25-0.73, P<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our observations suggest the need for consideration of patient's age when interpreting BNP concentrations in the population.
Nageh
Thuraia
T
Department of Cardiology, King's College Hospital, London UK. Tnageh@hotmail.com
Chin
Derek
D
Cooke
Jennifer C
JC
Meehan
Noreen
N
Monaghan
Mark J
MJ
Sherwood
Roy A
RA
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*
D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain