Background: Little is known about the differences between natriuretic peptides used to evaluate elderly patients with heart failure. The aim of the study was to evaluate the information and the power to predict cardiovascular mortality derived from an analysis of cardiac natriuretic peptides from the same study population and at the same time.
Methods and results: In all, 415 elderly patients (age 65-82 years) in primary health care were evaluated and followed for 6 years. All patients had symptoms of heart failure and were examined by a cardiologist. An electrocardiogram and chest x-rays were taken, and the systolic and diastolic functions were assessed using Doppler echocardiography. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal proBNP, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and N-terminal proANP were analyzed. All 4 peptides were associated with age, and only 1 of them showed any gender difference. Three of the 4 peptides (not ANP) provided important information for identifying patients with impaired systolic function and diastolic dysfunction (pseudonormal or restrictive filling pattern), and for assessing the risk of cardiovascular death.
Conclusions: Cardiac natriuretic peptides are useful tools for evaluating elderly patients with heart failure. Three of the 4 peptides were very similar. ANP exhibits inferior properties and cannot be recommended in clinical practice.