Association of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide with the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction

Backround N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) is a reliable predictor in acute coronary artery disease(CAD). Little is known about patients with stable CAD, especially Chinese patients with CAD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of NT-proBNP levels with the severity of CAD in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction.Methods A total of 658 consecutive patients were divided into two groups based on angiograms: CAD group(n=484) and angiographic normal control group(n=174). The severity of CAD was evaluated by modified Gensini score, and its relationship with NT-proBNP was analyzed.Results The prevalence of risk factors such as age, male gender, diabetes mellitus(DM), dyslipidemia, smoking, and family history of CAD in the CAD group were higher than that in the control group. In multivariate regression model analysis, age, gender, and DM were determinants of the presence of CAD. NT-pro BNP was found to be an independent predictor for CAD(OR:1.66(95% CI: 1.06–2.61), P <0.05). In a receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve analysis, an NT-proBNP value of 641.15 pmol/L was identified as a cut-off value in the diagnosis or exclusion of CAD(area under curve(AUC)=0.56, 95% CI: 0.51–0.61). Furthermore, NT-proBNP was positively correlated with Gensini score(r=0.14, P <0.001) in patients with CAD.Conclusion NT-proBNP was an independent predictor for Chinese patients with CAD, suggesting that the NT-proBNP level might be associated with the presence and the severity of CAD.