N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide: an independent marker for coronary artery disease in asymptomatic diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, a marker for cardiac failure and potentially for the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), predicts silent myocardial ischaemia (SMI) and silent CAD in asymptomatic high-risk diabetic patients.


METHODS
Five hundred and seventeen asymptomatic diabetic patients with > or = 1 additional cardiovascular risk factor but without heart failure were prospectively screened between 1998 and 2008 for SMI, defined as an abnormal stress myocardial scintigraphy, and subsequently for significant (> 70%) angiographic CAD. The 323 patients with interpretable echocardiography and for whom NT-proBNP was measured were included in this analysis.


RESULTS
SMI was found in 108 (33.4%) patients, 39 of whom had CAD. NT-proBNP was higher in the patients with CAD than in the patients without CAD [45.0 (1-3199) vs. 20.0 (1-1640) pg/ml; P < 0.0001 median (range)], even after adjustment for confounding factors: age, gender, body mass index, glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)), retinopathy, nephropathy, hypertension, echocardiographic parameters (P < 0.05). NT-proBNP in the third tertile (> or = 38 pg/ml) predicted CAD with a sensitivity of 59% and a specificity of 67%. In a multiple logistic regression analysis including NT-proBNP > or = 38 pg/ml, age, body mass index, gender, HbA(1c), hypertension, retinopathy, nephropathy, peripheral occlusive arterial disease, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, dilatation and hypertrophy and Type 1 transmitral flow, NT-proBNP > or = 38 pg/ml was the only significant independent predictor of silent CAD [odds ratio (OR) 3.1 (95% confidence interval 1.3-7.6), P = 0.015].


CONCLUSIONS
NT-proBNP measurement helps to better define asymptomatic diabetic patients with an increased likelihood for CAD, independently of cardiac function and structure.
Cosson
E
E
AP-HP, Jean Verdier Hospital, Department of Endocrinology-Diabetology-Nutrition and Paris-Nord University, CRNH-IdF, 93143 Bondy Cedex, France. emmanuel.cosson@jvr.aphp.fr
Nguyen
M T
MT
Pham
I
I
Pontet
M
M
Nitenberg
A
A
Valensi
P
P
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology
D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain