Delayed elevation of plasma brain natriuretic peptide as a cue to diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in cryptogenic stroke: A case report

The cause of ischemic stroke is thought to be undetermined in around a quarter of patients [1]. Elevated plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in acute stroke patients are shown to be associated with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) [2]. It is widely recognized that elevated BNP levels on admission in cryptogenic stroke patients may be prognostic of AF. However, the relation between AF in cryptogenic stroke and elevated BNP levels on sub-acute or chronic phase have not been well established.

Source: Journal of the Neurological Sciences - August 8, 2017 Category: Neurology Authors: Kenichi Todo, Junko Ishii, Tomoyuki Kono, Taku Hoshi, Nobuo Kohara Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research