Abstract:

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in early evaluation of left heart function for patients with hypertension combined with diabetes mellitus. Methods One hundred and twenty-three patients with hypertension and without clinical evidence of heart failure were divided into hypertension combined with diabetes mellitus group (n=63) and simple hypertension group (n=60). Plasma NTproBNP concentrations were measured, and echocardiography was performed in all patients. The correlation between plasma NT-proBNP concentration and parameters of echocardiography was explored by multiple regression analysis. Results The plasma NT-proBNP concentration in hypertension combined with diabetes mellitus group was (376±50) ng/L, and was significantly higher than that in simple hypertension group (98±16) ng/L (P<0.01). Echocardiography revealed that the cardiac structure and cardiac function were normal in simple hypertension group, while the left atrial diameter (LAD), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVED), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), interventricular septal thickness (IVST) and heart rate (HR) significantly increased, and the left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) significantly decreased in hypertension combined with diabetes mellitus group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Multiple regression analysis indicated that NT-proBNP was negatively related to LVEF （R2=-0.30, P<0.05）, but positively related to LAD, LVED, HR, IVST and LVPWT （R2=0.18, 0.11, 0.09, 0.20 and 0.13, P<0.05 or P<0.01）in hypertension combined with diabetes mellitus group. Conclusion Plasma NT-proBNP may serve as a parameter of early evaluation for left heart function in patients with hypertension combined with diabetes mellitus.

Key words: hypertension, left heart function, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, diabetes