Prognostic Value of NT-proBNP in Stable Coronary Artery Disease in Chinese Patients after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the Drug-eluting Stent Era

Objective

The predictive value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) in the drug-eluting stent era is not yet clear. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of NT-proBNP in SCAD patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

We examined 4,293 consecutive SCAD patients who underwent PCI between January 2013 and December 2013 in Fuwai Hospital, China. The primary endpoint was all-cause death. NT-proBNP levels were measured before PCI using Elisa kits (Biomedica, Austria). The indication for PCI was based on the degree of coronary stenosis and evidence of ischemia.

Results

Among 3,187 SCAD patients with NT-proBNP data, after a 2-year follow-up, NT-proBNP levels were predictive for all-cause death in the SCAD population [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.768; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.687–0.849; P < 0.001]. At the optimum cutoff point of 732 pg/mL, the sensitivity and specificity of death was 75.0% and 72.3%, respectively. In a multivariable Cox regression model, the death hazard ratio was 6.43 (95% CI, 2.99–13.82; P < 0.001) for patients with NT-proBNP levels ≥ 732 pg/mL, compared with < 732 pg/mL.

Conclusion

NT-proBNP is a strong predictor of 2-year death with SCAD after PCI in the drug-eluting stent era.