Association of N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide and impaired aortic elastic property in hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND: N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is closely related to risk stratification in many cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of NT-proBNP and impaired aortic elastic property in hypertensive patients.
METHODS: One hundred fifty-five hypertensive patients without obvious cardiac dysfunction were included and divided in tertiles based on their NT-proBNP concentration. Eighty-six normotensive healthy volunteers were also enrolled as controls. All subjects underwent Doppler echocardiography to assess cardiac parameters and aortic distensibility index. Plasma NT-proBNP was measured by electrochemiluminescence.
RESULTS: The parameters of aortic elastic property were decreased and NT-proBNP was significantly increased in hypertensive patients compared with controls (all P<0.05). Among hypertensive patients, higher NT-proBNP tertiles were associated with larger systolic and diastolic aortic diameters, longer deceleration time of the E wave velocity (DT) and isovolumic relaxation time; decreased E/A ratio and more percent of diastolic dysfunction. The parameters of aortic elastic property showed stepwise decreases from the first tertiles to the third tertiles (P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that concentrations of NT-proBNP were significantly correlated with age and impaired aortic distensibility.
CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP is a marker for impaired aortic elastic property in hypertensive patients. Measurement of NT-proBNP could be indicated in hypertensive patients for further risk stratification.