title: Prognostic value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in patients with chronic stable angina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with chronic stable angina are poorly characterized in terms of biomarkers that help in the assessment of prognosis. We investigated whether plasma levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) may be used as a prognostic marker in patients with chronic stable angina treated with coronary stenting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma levels of NT-proBNP were measured in 1059 patients with chronic stable angina and coronary angiographic confirmation of significant coronary artery disease. The primary end point of the study was mortality. After a median of 3.6 years (interquartile range, 3.3 to 4.5 years), there were 106 deaths. Kaplan-Meier estimates of 5-year mortality were 4.7% in the first quartile, 7.8% in the second quartile, 11.4% in the third quartile, and 32.7% in the fourth quartile of NT-proBNP (P<0.001). A Cox proportional hazards model showed that NT-proBNP was the strongest correlate of mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [HR], 5.83 [95% confidence interval: 2.07 to 16.44] for the fourth versus the first quartile). A similar prognostic value of NT-proBNP was demonstrated for cardiovascular mortality (HR, 5.98 [1.55 to 23.13] for the fourth versus the first quartile) and for patients with New York Heart Association class I and II (HR, 6.03 [2.07 to 17.52] for the fourth versus the first quartile).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating levels of NT-proBNP are a strong prognostic biomarker for patients with chronic stable angina.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Herz- und Kreislauferkrankungen, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Germany.
authors.forename: Gjin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ndrepepa
authors.forename: Siegmund
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niemöller
authors.forename: Julinda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mehilli
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: von Beckerath
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: von Beckerath
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schömig
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kastrati
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain