Ventricular hypertrophy increases NT-proBNP in subjects with and without hypertension.
BACKGROUND
It has been published that hypertension (HT) must be taken into account when using NT-proBNP, but left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy without HT could be a cause of NT-proBNP elevation. In a population study we compared NT-proBNP in subjects with hypertrophy, with and without diagnosis of HT.


METHODS
We studied 215 subjects from a random sample of 432 people who had declared to suffer from dyspnea. These 432 subjects were referred to their hospital where blood samples were taken, an echo-Doppler study was performed and a specific questionnaire was completed. We got a positive answer from 215, and 52 (24%) have LV hypertrophy.


RESULTS
When we compared NT-proBNP in non-hypertrophic population, 148 +/- 286 pg/ml, with NT-proBNP in LV hypertrophic population, 202 +/- 209 pg/ml, we found P < 0.001. In the hypertrophic group, when we compared NT-proBNP (199 +/- 201 pg/ml) in normotensive subjects (LV mass index 170 +/- 70 g/m2, Vp 50 +/- 18 cm/s, LVEF 62 +/- 8) with NT-proBNP (205 +/- 220 pg/ml) in subjects with diagnosis of HT (LV mass index 169 +/- 37 g/m2, Vp 55 +/- 20 cm/s, LVEF 64 +/- 10), we found NS.


CONCLUSIONS
This population study shows that NT-proBNP is elevated in patients with LV hypertrophy with or without HT. In LV hypertrophy the presence of HT does not influence the peptide levels significantly.
Rivera Otero
J Miguel
JM
Research Center La Fe Hospital, José María Haro, 59, Puerta 59, 46022 Valencia, Spain. rivera_jmi@gva.es
Taléns-Visconti
Raquel
R
Salvador
Antonio
A
Bertomeu
Vicente
V
Miró
Vicente
V
Jordán
Alejandro
A
Sogorb
Francisco
F
Cortés
Raquel
R
Payá
Rafael
R
Diago
Jose Luis
JL
Grau
Guillermo
G
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D015588:Observer Variation; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D015415:Biomarkers; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain