Saturday, July 08, 2006

Effects of obesity on natriuretic peptides: implications for the evaluation of heart failure

We’ve known for some time that natriuretic peptide levels (BNP and, to a lesser extent, pro-BNP), correlate inversely with body mass index. Obese patients may have deceptively low levels, decreasing the sensitivity for the diagnosis of heart failure.

In this paper from the American Heart Journal (via Medscape) the Breathing Not Properly Multinational Study investigators analyzed BNP levels in various categories of body mass index in order to quantitate the effect of obesity on the test characteristics of BNP in heart failure. The authors conclude that “B-type natriuretic peptide cut-points to maintain 90% sensitivity for a HF diagnosis were 170 pg/mL for lean subjects, 110 pg/mL for overweight/obese subjects, and 54 pg/mL in severely/morbidly obese patients.”

No comments: