Correlation between Plasma BNP and TCM Syndrome in Elderly and Young Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Objective To investigate the relationship between plasma B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) and syndrome type of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in elderly and young patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods One hundred fourty seven patients with AMI from in the cardiology department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital were randomly enrolled from January 2011 to February 2012,with 68 in young group and 79 in elderly group.The patients of the two groups were,basing on TCM syndrome,divided into 4 subgroups: Qi deficiency and blood stasis,Qi stagnation and blood stasis,Qi deficiency and phlegm stasis,Qi-Yin deficiency and blood stasis.BNP level was measured by rapid,point-of-care quantitative immunofluorescent assay.The constituent ratios of TCM syndromes and the correlation with BNP in the two groups were analyzed.Results The constituent ratio of TCM syndromes in the young group was respectively 39.7%(27/68) for Qi deficiency and blood stasis,30.9%(21/68) for Qi deficiency and phlegm stasis,16.2%(11/68) for Qi-Yin deficiency and blood stasis,and 13.2%(9/68) for Qi stagnation and blood stasis.But the constituent ratio in the elderly group was 44.3%(35/79) for Qi deficiency and phlegm stasis,25.3%(20/79) for Qi-Yin deficiency and blood stasis,and 22.8%(18/79) for Qi deficiency and blood stasis,and 7.6%(6/79) for Qi stagnation and blood stasis,The differences in the constituent ratio between young group and elderly group were statistically significant(P0.05).The plasma levels of BNP in the elderly subgroups were significantly higher than those in the young subgroups(P0.01).In the young group the plasma levels of BNP ranged in order of Qi deficiency and phlegm stasis Qi-Yin deficiency and blood stasis Qi deficiency and blood stasis Qi stagnation and blood stasis,and among the subgroups there a significant difference between Qi deficiency and phlegm stasis subgroup and Qi stagnation and blood stasis group(P0.05).In the elderly group the plasma levels of BNP ranged in order of Qi deficiency and phlegm stasis Qi deficiency and blood stasis Qi-Yin deficiency and blood stasis Qi stagnation and blood stasis but no significant difference was found among the subgroups(P0.05).Conclusion The Qi deficiency and blood stasis type was the most common in the young group(39.7%),but the Qi deficiency and phlegm stasis type was the most common in the elderly group(44.3%).The elevation of BNP might be one of the microcosmic indexes for AMI of Qi deficiency and phlegm stasis.