The relationship between long-term changes in plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels and electrocardiographic findings.
OBJECTIVE
Changes in B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and electrocardiographic (ECG) findings in an adult Japanese population were measured over a 5-year period, and the statistical relationships between these were evaluated.


METHODS
This was a longitudinal analysis in which data were collected on 353 subjects (135 men and 218 women) who had undergone general health checks in 1998 and 2003.


RESULTS
Data were examined by correlation coefficient and one-way analysis of covariance using repeated measurements. The correlation coefficient for BNP between 1998 and 2003 was 0.622 (P < 0.0001) for the men and 0.557 (P < 0.0001) for women. The changes in BNP over the same period were 13.71 +/- 26.06 (P < 0.0001) pg/ml in the men and 20.17 +/- 32.01 (P < 0.0001) pg/ml in the women. In 99 men and 145 women who had undergone ECG tests, with both normal and abnormal findings, visual inspections of changes in the ECG findings with respect to BNP changes were performed over the 5-year period. In men, both age and BNP significantly correlated with changes in ECG findings; however, in women, no significant correlation between BNP and changes in ECG findings was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
This regional longitudinal study revealed a gender difference in the relationship between long-term changes in BNP and ECG findings, suggesting that a 10 pg/ml or more increase in BNP in men over a 5-year period may a indicate worsening of cardiac function and the need for intervention.
Fukazawa
Shinji
S
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Kyorin University, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitakashi, Tokyo, 181-8611, Japan, fkzw@kyorin-u.ac.jp
Teruya
Koji
K
Uemura
Takamoto
T
Omine
Tomoko
T
Matsui
Tomoko
T
Takeda
Nobuo
N
Okamoto
Hiroteru
H
Ichikawa
Kaoru
K
Tsuchida
Kosuke
K
Takemae
Rieko
R
Matsuda
Momoo
M
Tsunoda
Tooru
T