Higher N-Terminal Pro–B-Type Natriuretic Peptide May Be Related to Very Different Conditions

We read the paper by Hijazi et al. with interest. The authors investigated the incremental value of measuring N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in addition to established risk factors (including the CHA2DS2VASc [heart failure, hypertension, age 75 years and older, diabetes, and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack, vascular disease, age 65 to 74 years, sex category (female sex, respectively)] score) for the prediction of cardiovascular and bleeding events. They concluded that NT-proBNP levels are often elevated in atrial fibrillation (AF) and independently associated with an increased risk for stroke and mortality. NT-proBNP improves risk stratification beyond the CHA2DS2VASc score and might be a novel tool for improved stroke prediction in AF. The efficacy of apixaban compared with warfarin was independent of the NT-proBNP level.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: research