Abstract
Objective: Efficient management of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is an essential function of regional medical care systems. In this regard, the compatibility of cardiac biomarkers such as B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) plays a crucial role.
Patient/Materials and Methods: A total of 1,007 participants were included in this study. To make NT-proBNP more compatible with BNP levels, we examined alternative cutoff NT-proBNP levels derived by curve-fitting as well as formulas to convert NT-proBNP to BNP levels derived by multivariable linear regression analyses.
Results: In comparison with alternative cutoffs or Formula #1, Formula #2, which included age, platelet count, and creatinine level as parameters, showed the best performance for improving the conformity between BNP and NT-proBNP levels. Using Formula #2, the concordance between BNP and NT-proBNP increased from 94.1% to 98.1% at a BNP cutoff of 40 pg/mL, and from 99.1% to 100.0% at a BNP cutoff of 100 pg/mL.
Conclusions: The selection of NT-proBNP cutoffs corresponding to BNP cutoffs and the application of conversion formulas improved the concordance between BNP and NT-proBNP levels to nearly 100%, which would greatly contribute to the efficient management of CVDs in the regional medical care system.
