title: B-type natriuretic peptide predicts postdischarge prognosis in elderly patients admitted due to cardiogenic pulmonary edema.
abstract: To examine the prognostic role of predischarge B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in elderly patients admitted to the hospital due to cardiogenic pulmonary edema, 203 patients consecutively admitted to the Heart Failure Unit of the Cardiology Department were retrospectively evaluated. The primary clinical end point selected was a combination of: 1) deaths; plus 2) readmissions to the hospital for heart failure in the 6 months after discharge. Thirty-one deaths (15.3%) and 44 readmissions for heart failure (21.7%) were recorded. Cox multivariate regression analysis confirmed that BNP cutoff values (identified on receiver-operated curve analysis) are the most accurate predictor of events. Hazard ratios (HRs) increased from the lowest, for BNP < or = 200 pg/mL (HR=1), through BNP 201-499 pg/mL (HR=2.3200; p=0.0174), to the highest, for BNP > or = 500 pg/mL (HR=3.6233; p=0.0009). This study demonstrates that BNP is useful in predischarge risk stratification of elderly patients with cardiogenic pulmonary edema.
authors.affiliation: Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, Ospedale Civile, San Donà di Piave, Italy. robertovalle@libero.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prevaldi
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Eri
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fontebasso
authors.forename: Prospero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giovinazzo
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noventa
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barro
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carbonieri
authors.forename: Loredano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aspromonte
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain