title: B-type natruiretic peptide levels stratify the risk for arrhythmia among implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to study the association between brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study of consecutive, stable, ambulatory patients with moderate and severe ischemic LVD and an ICD. A plasma BNP level was obtained at recruitment. Patients were evaluated every 3-6 mo for a minimum of 1 y. The primary end point was the occurrence of malignant ventricular arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death (SCD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cohort consisted of 94 subjects (6 women) with a mean +/- standard deviation (SD) age of 69 +/- 10 y. The ICD implantation indication was primary and secondary prevention of SCD in 49% and 51% of subjects, respectively. A primary end point occurred in 27 patients (29%), and was more frequent in symptomatic heart failure patients and those implanted for secondary prevention of SCD. The median BNP level was significantly higher among patients who experienced an end point (191 pg/ml versus 142 pg/ml, p = 0.03). After controlling for New York Heart Association heart failure class and ICD implantation indication, the odds ratio (OR) for experiencing an adverse outcome among the upper BNP quartile versus all others was 3.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-10.2). Among patients implanted for primary prevention of SCD, none of the patients in the lower BNP quartile (BNP < 91 pg/ml) experienced an adverse outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that abnormally high BNP levels not only predict cardiac death, but also arrhythmic death in this patient population, and a low BNP level can serve to identify low risk patients. (c)
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Ori
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Galante
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amit
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zahger
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wagshal
authors.forename: Reuben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ilia
authors.forename: Amos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain