The effect of beta-blocker (carvedilol) therapy on N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels and echocardiographic findings in patients with congestive heart failure
Echocardiography, cilt.24, sa.2, ss.113-117, 2007 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 24 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2007
- Doi Numarası: 10.1111/j.1540-8175.2007.00364.x
- Dergi Adı: Echocardiography
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.113-117
- Anahtar Kelimeler: congestive heart failure, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, beta-blocker (carvedilol), echocardiography
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: The favorable effects of beta-blockers on decreasing mortality in contemporary heart failure management have been demonstrated in recent years. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic (NT-proBNP) peptide levels increase in patients with heart failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the NT-proBNP levels and echocardiographic findings for the patients who received carvedilol therapy in addition to standard therapy for congestive heart failure. Methods and Results: A total of 25 patients with symptomatic congestive heart failure and 25 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Before introducing beta-blocker into their therapy regimens, baseline transthoracic echocardiography recordings were made and venous blood samples were drawn for establishing NT-proBNP levels. The patients were administered with a minimum dose of carvedilol. Three months after reaching the maximum tolerable dose, blood samples were drawn from the patients once again for NT-proBNP measurements, and transthoracic echocardiography was performed. There was a significant drop in plasma NT-proBNP levels at the end of the study in comparison to the baseline values (baseline: 381.20±35.06 pg/mL, at the end of the third month: 254.44±28.64 pg/mL; P < 0.001). While left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters were observed to have significantly decreased as a result of the therapy (P < 0.001), left ventricular ejection fraction (P<0.001) was established to have increased significantly. Conclusions: Carvedilol therapy resulted in a marked decrease in plasma NT-proBNP levels and increase left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with congestive heart failure. © 2007, the Authors.