Study on the relationship between plasma level of brain natriuretic peptide and the cardiac function in the patients with chronic heart failure

Objective To study the relationship between level of brain natriuretic peptide and the cardiac function in the patients with chronic heart failure and to investigate the value of brain natriuretic peptide in the diagnosis and illness evaluation on chronic heart failure.Methods The plasma brain natriuretic peptide level of 134 chronic heart failure patients and 102 controls were measured with ELISA method.Left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac index were detected with color Doppler.Correlation analysis was done between plasma level of brain natriuretic peptide and left ventricular ejection fraction,cardiac index in chronic heart failure patients.Results The plasma brain natriuretic peptide level in chronic heart failure group was much higher than that in the controls(P0.01),which was positively correlated with NYHA class,and negatively with left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac index.After regular treatment,with the improving of heart function,the level of brain natriuretic peptide declined obviously(P0.05).Brain natriuretic peptide level in the patients without improved heart function was significantly higher than that in the patients with improved heart function(P0.01).Conclusion The plasma level of brain natriuretic peptide is correlated with the cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure,and it has some clinical value in the diagnosis and evaluation of the condition on the patients with chronic heart failure.