Plasma brain natriuretic peptide as an indicator for angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibition after myocardial infarction

J.G. Motwani, A. D. Struthers, H. McAlpine, N. Kennedy

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    Abstract

    Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac ventricular hormone that may be a sensitive and specific marker of changes in ventricular function. In a prospective, randomised open trial with 16 patients followed for 6 months after first Q wave anterior myocardial infarction we set out to determine: whether BNP concentrations are raised acutely, the effect on circulating BNP of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, how BNP and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations compared as correlates of left-ventricular ejection fraction, and whether plasma BNP concentrations could distinguish patients with low (<40%) and relatively preserved (>40%) ejection fractions.

    Plasma concentrations of BNP measured on days 2, 7, 8, 42, and 180 postinfarction were significantly raised in patients compared with normal controls and to a proportionately greater degree than ANP concentrations. Treatment with placebo (n=8) or oral captopril (n=8) from day 8 resulted in significantly lower BNP concentrations at days 42 (p=0.05) and 180 (p<0.05) in the captopril-treated group. Compared with ANP, BNP concentrations were much more strongly correlated with radionuclide-measured left-ventricular ejection fraction at days 2, 42, and 180. All 8 patients with baseline (day 2) ejection fractions of 40% or above had plasma BNP concentrations less than 10 pmol/L, whereas the 8 patients with ejection fractions less than 40% had BNP concentrations greater than 10 pmol/L.

    Our findings suggest that measurements of circulating BNP may identify those patients with significant left-ventricular dysfunction who have been highlighted by the Survival and Ventricular Enlargement study as likely to benefit from long-term ACE inhibition after myocardial infarction.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1109-1113
    Number of pages5
    JournalLancet
    Volume341
    Issue number8853
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 May 1993

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