title: B-type natriuretic peptide measurement in primary care; magnitude of associations with cardiovascular risk factors and their therapies. Observations from the STOP-HF (St. Vincent's Screening TO Prevent Heart Failure) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An effective prevention strategy for heart failure in primary care requires a reliable screening tool for asymptomatic ventricular dysfunction. Preliminary data indicate that B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) may be suitable for this task. However, for the most effective use of this peptide, the interrelationships between associated risk factors and their therapies on BNP, and in particular their magnitude of effect, needs to be established in a large primary care population. Therefore, the objective of the study was to establish the extent of the association between BNP, cardiovascular risk factors and their therapies.
  
  
  METHODS
  BNP measurement and clinical review was preformed on 1122 primary care patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Multivariate analyses identified significant associates of BNP concentrations which were further explored to establish the magnitude of their association.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Associates of BNP were age (1.36-fold increase in BNP/decade), female (1.28), β-blockers (1.90), myocardial infarction (1.36), arrhythmia (1.98), diastolic blood pressure; all p<0.01. A novel method was devised that plotted median BNP per sliding decade of age for the various combinations of these principal associates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data presented underline the importance of considering several clinical and therapeutic factors when interpreting BNP concentrations. Most of these variables were associated with increased concentrations, which may in part explain the observed false-positive rates for detecting ventricular dysfunction using this peptide. Furthermore, the design of studies or protocols using BNP as an endpoint or a clinical tool should take particular account of these associations. This analysis provides the foundation for age, risk factor and therapy adjusted reference ranges for BNP in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Carmel M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Conlon
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dawkins
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Loughlin
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Cecily C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kelleher
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ledwidge
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain