Dynamic left ventricular dyssynchrony contributes to B-type natriuretic peptide release during exercise in patients with systolic heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is an emerging biomarker in heart failure. In this setting, the extent of left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony contributes to exercise symptoms. Whether exercise-induced changes in LV dyssynchrony might be a trigger of BNP release has never been investigated.


RESULTS
Fifty-seven patients with systolic LV dysfunction underwent quantitative analysis of BNP, mitral regurgitation (MR), and dyssynchrony at rest and during exercise. None had inducible ischaemia on perfusion imaging. By multiple regression analysis, end-systolic volume index (P < 0.0001), effective regurgitant orifice (ERO) (P < 0.001), and E/Ea (P = 0.002) emerged as independent determinants of BNP at baseline (R(2) = 0.67). Exercise induced a significant rise in BNP levels (P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, a smaller change in systolic blood pressure (P = 0.04), a larger increase in ERO (P = 0.017), and in systolic dyssynchrony index (P = 0.006) during exercise emerged as independent determinants of exercise-induced increases in BNP (R(2) = 0.45).


CONCLUSIONS
MR severity, volume overload, and LV filling pressure are surrogates of BNP at rest. During exercise, changes in BNP reflect the presence of dynamic changes in both LV dyssynchrony and MR severity in the absence of inducible ischaemia.
Lancellotti
Patrizio
P
Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Liège, CHU Sart Tilman, B-4000 Liège, Belgium. plancellotti@chu.ulg.ac.be
Cosyns
Bernard
B
Piérard
Luc A
LA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D054143:Heart Failure, Systolic / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain