Prognostic Impact of B-type Natriuretic Peptide Levels and Plasma Renin Activity in Female Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Abstract

In acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), the number of female patients has been increasing but their prognostic factors has remained uncertain. We have studied consecutive 252 female patients with ADHF admitted to our department from 2007 through 2012. Of 252 patients, 170 patients whose BNP levels and plasma renin activity (PRA) were examined. We divided into two groups on the basis of the median BNP levels and PRA. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that high PRA groups had worse prognosis than low PRA groups (p<0.01), but BNP levels could not predict cardiovascular death and HF admission (Figure 1). Multivariate analysis revealed that PRA predicted cardiac event (HR: 1.029 [1.005-1.050], p<0.05) but BNP levels were not. PRA was stronger predictors of cardiac events than BNP levels in ADHF patients.