Clinical impression of brain natriuretic peptide levels in demented patients without cardiovascular disease

Abstract

High plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations have been observed in patients with ischemic stroke, as well as cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, a recent report suggests that BNP may predict cognitive dysfunction in older patients with cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study is to estimate the clinical impression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in demented patients without cardiovascular disease. The Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-R), age, echocardiographic parameters, and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and BNP levels were assessed in 42 outpatients at the Dementia Care Unit in Watanabe Hospital. Some BNP levels were more than normal reference values, while any ANP levels were no more than normal reference values. BNP levels were significantly correlated (i.e. negative correlation) with HDS-R (r = -0.33, P = 0.03), whereas those were not significantly correlated with age and echocardiographic parameters. This study shows that BNP levels were significantly correlated with cognitive function in demented patients without cardiovascular disease, and suggests that BNP may support the assessment of cognitive dysfunction in demented patients.