Abstract
The relationship between plasma concentrations of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and hemodynamic parameters by echocardiogram was studied in 516 patients, The following results were obtained: 1) Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) had significantly higher BNP level and larger left atrial dimension (LAD) than those with sinus rhythm (SR), BNP levels were correlated with LAD in SR patients, but not in AF patients. 2) Multivariate analyses showed that left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were independent predictors of plasma BNP concentrations in both SR and AF patients. Body surface area and E/A in SR patients and body weight in AF patients were also independently associatedd with BNP. 3) BNP concentrations were markedly higher in patients with combined systolic and diastolic dysfunction than in those with isolated systolic or diastolic dysfunction. 4) BNP concentrations were significantly higher in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy than in those with hypertensive heart disease and old myocardial infarction, independent of LVMI, left ventricular dimension, and left ventricular dysfunction.
