N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide predicts both all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in Japanese hemodialysis patients.

Abstract

The association between N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level and long-term mortality in Japanese hemodialysis patients has not been fully assessed. This prospective, multicenter study included 1428 hemodialysis outpatients. Baseline NT-proBNP levels were measured at the first hemodialysis session of the week and participants were followed for 5years. The areas under the curve were calculated from receiver operating characteristic curves. Groups determined by quartiles of baseline NT-proBNP level were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. The association between NT-proBNP level and mortality was assessed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. During the 5-year follow-up, we observed 370 deaths and 256 censored cases. The areas under the curve of pre-hemodialysis NT-proBNP for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality after 1year were 0.75 and 0.78, respectively, and significantly greater than the areas under the curve at the 3- and 5-year follow-up. Cut-off values for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality after 1year were 4550 and 5467ng/L, respectively (sensitivity: 82% and 81%; specificity: 59% and 64%). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the group with pre-hemodialysis NT-proBNP ≥ 8805ng/L had increased all-cause mortality (P < 0.001) and cardiovascular disease mortality (P < 0.001). Finally, multivariate Cox analysis showed that NT-proBNP level was associated with all-cause mortality (P < 0.001) and cardiovascular disease mortality (P = 0.004) independently from other clinical parameters. NT-proBNP is a useful marker to predict both all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in hemodialysis patients.