title: B-type natriuretic peptide is related to left ventricular mass in hypertensive patients but not in athletes.
abstract: A positive correlation has been previously documented between B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in hypertensive patients. We evaluated 8 cycling athletes, 8 healthy age-matched controls; 17 hypertensive patients and 7 age-matched controls. LVMI was significantly higher in athletes and hypertensive patients than in their controls. Plasma levels of BNP in hypertensive patients were significantly higher than in athletes and their age-matched controls. No significant difference was found between athletes and their controls. Cycling athletes had significantly larger LVMI than hypertensive patients and controls, without elevated BNP levels. These results suggest that BNP levels are elevated in patients with increased LVM due to hypertension but not in physiologically increased LVM. Whether elevated BNP levels in athletes is a sign of structural heart disease merits further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hospital S João, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Cardiovascular, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Susana  S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Friões
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bettencourt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D013177:Sports; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor