Relationship Between Prohormone Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) Level and Severity of Pulmonary Dysfunction in Patients With Chronic Congestive Heart Failure

Introduction: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a common disease and its prevalence is increasingin industrialized countries. NT-proBNP measurement is an established diagnostic test fordiagnosis of CHF in patients who present to emergency room with acute dyspnea. The primaryobject of this study was to determine the relationship between levels of brain natriuretic peptideprecursor and severity of lung function impairment in patients with chronic CHF.Methods: This cross-sectional and analytical study that performed in Tuberculosis andLung Disease Research Center of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences on 95 patients withchronic heart failure, and relation between NT-proBNP levels and pulmonary functionparameters were examined.Results: Sixty-four patients were male and 31 were female. The average age of male and femaleswas 62.90 ± 11.54 and 61.61 ± 11.98 years, respectively. A significant inverse linear correlationwas found between NT-proBNP and FEV1 (P<0.001, r = -0.367), FVC (P<0.001, r = -0.444),TLC (P=0.022, r = -0.238), maximal midexpiratory flow (MMEF) (P=0.047, r = -0.207) andleft ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P<0.001, r = -0.461). A significant positive linearcorrelation was found between NT-proBNP and FEV1/FVC (P =0.013, r = 0.257), RV/TLC (P =0.003, r=0.303) and 5 Hz Raw (r = 0.231, P = 0.024).Conclusion: This study showed that, both restrictive and obstructive ventilator impairments canoccur in chronic CHF and as NT-proBNP increases appropriate to hemodynamic deterioration,pulmonary dysfunction increases.