Brain natriuretic peptide is a sensitive indicator of impaired left-ventricular function in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease.

We studied the relation between the plasma concentration of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and echocardiographic findings to determine the sensitivity of BNP as an indicator of left-ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients with various cardiovascular diseases. The plasma concentration of BNP was positively correlated with left-ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions (LVEDD and LVESD, respectively) and inversely correlated with the left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with prior myocardial infarction, dilated cardiomyopathy, and valvular heart disease. The plasma concentration of BNP decreased significantly in association with an increase in LVEF and decreases in LVEDD and LVESD in patients with congestive heart failure following therapy. These observations indicate that the plasma concentration of BNP is a sensitive marker of impaired left-ventricular function in elderly patients with various cardiovascular diseases and may be useful for evaluating the improvement in left-ventricular function and the efficacy of therapy in patients with congestive heart failure.