Changes of plasma brain natriuretic peptide in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) complicated by atrial fibrillation

ZHANG Qing-yun; ZHOU Yun-ling; TANG Jie; ZOU Lan; LUO Hui; XIAO Lian; REN Zong-ming; NIU Yan-li

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-4055.2016.07.32

Abstract：Objective To observe the changes of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) complicated by atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods CHF patients (n=325, male 193, female 132 and aged from 34 to 86) were chosen from the Department of Cardiovasology of the Second People’s Hospital of Guangyuan City in Sichuan Province from Apr. 2009 to Apr. 2013. All patients were divided, according to whether or not they had atrial fibrillation (AF), into AF group (n=117) and normal sinus rhythm group (NSR group, n=208). AF group was divided again, according to the types of AF, into group A (with paroxysmal AF,n=65) and group B (with sustained AF,n=52). The levels of BNP, left atrial diameter (LAD), left ventricular end-diastolic inner diameter (LVEDd), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) were detected in all groups.Results The level of plasma BNP increased as NYHA class increased in 3 groups (allP<0.05). Compared with NSR group, the level of plasma BNP increased significantly in group A and group B, and that was significantly higher in group B than that in group A (allP<0.05). LVEDD and LAD were significantly higher in group B than those in group A and NSR group, and LVPWT was significantly higher in group A and group B than that in NSR group (allP<0.05). The level of plasma BNP was positively correlated to LVEDD (r=0.427) and LVPWT (r=0.585, allP<0.05).Conclusion The level of plasma BNP increases significantly in patients with CHF complicated by AF, and the poorer the heart function, the higher the BNP level. The changes of left ventricular structure will be more significant as level of plasma BNP increases.