The Relationship of Left Ventricular Function and Plasma Concentration of BNP and NT‐proBNP in Patients with Asymptomatic Diastolic Dysfunction and Diastolic Heart Failure

Abstract

Objective: to clarify the diagnostic value of Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) and N Terminal-pro BNP (NT-pro BNP), and to investigate their correlations with cardiac function in asymptomatic diastolic dysfunction (ADD) and diastolic heart failure (DHF). Methods: Echocardiography was performed to measure the peak regional myocardial sustained systolic (Sm) and early diastolic velocities (Em), early diastolic flow propagation velocity (Vp), and E wave (E) and A wave (A) of the trans-mitral flow velocities in 166 ADD patients, 153 DHF patients and 77 healthy volunteers. Plasma BNP and NT-pro BNP were examined. Results: Compared to normal volunteers, Sm, Em and Vp decreased (Sm: 9.35±1.88 and 8.79±1.48 vs 10.35±1.41; Em: 9.01±1.97 and 7.62±1.58 vs 10.42±1.81; Vp: 44.00±10.78 and 39.65±11.88 vs 56.31±8.79), and E/Em and E/Vp significantly increased in both ADD and DHF patients. However, the changes in DHF are more significantly than that in ADD. Plasma BNP and NT-pro BNP significantly increased in ADD and DHF patients (BNP: 87.40 and 269.93 vs 58.05; NT-pro BNP: 141.03 and 871.50 vs 63.91). NT-pro BNP is more significantly correlated with Em, E/Em and E/Vp in ADD patients. All above p values <0.05. Conclusions: Plasma BNP and NT-pro BNP were increased, and systolic and diastolic dysfunction was observed in both ADD and DHF. However, these changes were more sever in DHF. NT-proBNP might be used for diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction and identification of ADD patients.