Aim: To determine the primary diseases and prognoses of patients with highly elevated levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP; >1000 pg/ml), with or without heart failure.
Methods: Medical records and echocardiograms of patients with BNP levels that fell within one of three predetermined categories (>1000 pg/ml, 200-1000 pg/ml and <200 pg/ml) were retrospectively reviewed.
Results: There were no significant between-group differences in duration of hospitalization. Patients with BNP levels >1000 pg/ml (n = 103) or 200-1000 pg/ml (n = 100) had significantly worse 3-year survival than those with BNP levels <200 pg/ml (n = 100). The majority of patients (64/103) in the BNP >1000 pg/ml group had heart failure. The main cause of death in patients with other causes of BNP levels >1000 pg/ml (39/103) was community acquired pneumonia.
Conclusion: A BNP level >1000 pg/ml has clinical importance in primary care medicine and hospital settings.
Keywords: B-type natriuretic peptide; community acquired pneumonia; heart failure.
© The Author(s) 2015.