Impact of atrial fibrillation on NT-proBNP levels in a 75-year-old population.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) on serum levels of N-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in a 75-year-old population.


METHODS
All 75-year-old citizens in Asker and Baerum counties in Norway were invited to participate in a prevalence study of AF. Blood samples for measurement of NT-proBNP were collected at rest from 61 subjects with AF and a gender-matched control group of 126 subjects in sinus rhythm. NT-proBNP was measured in serum using the Elecsys proBNP sandwich immunoassay (Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland).


RESULTS
Subjects with permanent AF had higher levels of NT-proBNP (median 1119 pg/mL (interquartile range 701, 1643)) than subjects with paroxysmal AF (257 pg/mL (169, 382)) and controls (95 pg/mL (60, 171)), p<0.001 for both.The presence of AF was still significantly associated with higher log NT-proBNP (B=0.61, p<0.001) after adjusting for the presence of heart failure, coronary heart disease and hypertension.


CONCLUSIONS
In this stable, out-of-hospital population of 75-year-old subjects, AF was independently associated with increased levels of NT-proBNP. Permanent AF was associated with higher NT-proBNP levels than paroxysmal AF.
Ulimoen
Sara Reinvik
SR
Medical Research Section, Department of Internal Medicine, Asker and Baerum Hospital, Norway. sara.ulimoen@sabhf.no
Enger
Steve
S
Tveit
Arnljot
A
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*
D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain