A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has shed new light on the importance of monitoring changes in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations for improving cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk stratification. The findings suggest that tracking these changes over time could provide valuable insights into the risk of CVD and mortality in community-dwelling older adults.
Key Insights
The study, which included 8,454 individuals without prior CVD and had a median follow-up of 8.0 years, found that longitudinal changes in NT-proBNP concentrations were associated with increased risks of total CVD and all-cause mortality. Specifically, incident and sustained heart stress, as indicated by three-year changes in NT-proBNP concentrations, were linked to a higher risk of adverse outcomes, highlighting the potential of NT-proBNP as a biomarker for CVD risk stratification.
