Articles
American Journal of Hypertension (2008). doi:10.1038/ajh.2008.173
Obese and Nonobese Patients With Essential Hypertension Show Similar N-terminal proBNP Plasma Levels
Raquel Cortés1, Miguel R. Otero1, Pedro Morillas2, Esther Roselló-Lletí1, Lilian Grigorian3, Luís Martínez-Dolz4, Fernando G. de Burgos5, Jose R. Calabuig6, Federico Soria7, Teresa Lozano8, Manuel Portolés9 and Vicente Bertomeu2
- 1Cardiocirculatory Unit, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain
- 2Cardiology Unit, Hospital Universitario San Juan, Alicante, Spain
- 3Cardiology Unit, Hospital Clinico, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- 4Cardiology Unit, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain
- 5Cardiology Unit, Hospital General Universitario, Elche, Spain
- 6Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain
- 7Cardiology Unit, Hospital Virgen de Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
- 8Cardiology Unit, Hospital Marina Baixa, Villajoyosa, Spain
- 9Cell Biology and Pathology Unit, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain
Correspondence: Miguel R. Otero, (rivera_jmi@gva.es)
Received 15 November 2007; Revised 17 February 2008; Accepted 25 March 2008; Published online 24 April 2008.
Abstract
Background
Multiple studies have focused on the influence of obesity on natriuretic peptide levels. However, the effect of obesity on amino-terminal propeptide of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in hypertensive (HT) patients remains uncertain.
Methods
We studied 252 asymptomatic patients (60 
13 years, 136 men) with essential HT. A routine physical examination, anthropometry, laboratory analyses, echo-Doppler study, and NT-proBNP level determination were performed.
Results
NT-proBNP levels were similar in both obese and nonobese HT (median 56 (25–130) pg/ml vs. median 51 (26–129) pg/ml, P = 0.488). No significant differences were found in obese or nonobese patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) (median 135 (73–425) pg/ml vs. median 151 (64–274) pg/ml, P = 0.597). The area under the curve was 0.89 0.03 for NT-proBNP to diagnose LVH in the obese HT patients and 0.88 0.03 in the nonobese. A logistic regression analysis showed that age, gender, and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were independent predictors of NT-proBNP levels. Body mass index (BMI) was not significantly associated with NT-proBNP in LVH HT patients.
Conclusions
Obesity is not statistically associated with NT-proBNP levels in HT asymptomatic patients. The same results were observed in our group of patients with LVH. These data are in contrast with those previously found in heart failure, and raise questions about the role of obesity per se as primary cause of decreased NT-proBNP levels in other pathophysiological conditions.
American Journal of Hypertension (2008). doi:10.1038/ajh.2008.173