title: Decrease in NTproBNP plasma levels indicates clinical improvement of acute decompensated heart failure.
abstract: Thirty-seven consecutive patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) admitted to emergency departments for acute dyspnea were investigated. Ten patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 10 patients with hypertension crisis were also included as controls. For each patient, a plasma amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) concentration measurement was performed at admission, 4, 12, and 24 hours later, and on the day of discharge. In patients with ADHF, the observation of a progressive reduction to a complete relief of symptoms of heart failure was accompanied by a reduction of 58% of NTproBNP plasma levels on the day of discharge. Amelioration of symptoms was accompanied by improvement of physiologic parameters and New York Heart Association functional class. In the control population (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension crisis patients), no significant variation of NTproBNP levels in comparison with those at admission was found at each time point. In conclusion, a plasma profile obtained with sequential measurements indicates that a significant decrease in NTproBNP levels is associated with the clinical improvement of patients with ADHF at the time of discharge.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medicine Department, II Medical School University La Sapienza, Sant'Andrea Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy. salvatore.disomma@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Somma
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magrini
authors.forename: Marinella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzone
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Leva
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tabacco
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Talucci
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Forte
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cardelli
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gentiloni
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pittoni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain