B-type natriuretic peptide as a marker of the effects of @entity4688 in XXXX with @entity712 .

@entity1 @entity4688 @entity712 @entity1289
BACKGROUND: A-Type and B-type natriuretic peptides are cardiac hormones whose circulating levels reflect the severity of @entity712 . It is not known how plasma levels of these hormones respond to changes in cardiac function that occur as a result of treatment with @entity1289 ( @entity1289 ) inhibitors. METHODS: @entity4688 was administered at 5 mg/d for 3 months in 24 @entity1 with @entity712 , and for the next 3 months at 15 mg/d in the high-dose group (n = 12) and 5 mg/d in the low-dose group (n = 12). We measured plasma levels of A-type or B-type natriuretic peptides, as well as conventional measures of cardiac function, such as the cardiothoracic ratio, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, and percent fractional shortening. RESULTS: Mean (+/- SD) plasma levels of both hormones decreased promptly after 2 weeks of therapy (A-type natriuretic peptide: 140 +/- 107 pg/mL to 81 +/- 68 pg/mL, P = 0.01; B-type natriuretic peptide: 305 +/- 278 pg/mL to 190 +/- 178 pg/mL, P = 0.01). These reductions were sustained throughout therapy. In contrast, the cardiothoracic ratio, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, and percent fractional shortening had not changed significantly after 3 months of treatment, although improvements were seen after 6 months of treatment. After 6 months, plasma levels of both A-type and B-type natriuretic peptides were significantly lower in the high-dose group than in the low-dose group (A-type natriuretic peptide: 48 +/- 25 pg/mL vs. 57 +/- 27 pg/mL, P = 0.01; B-type natriuretic peptide: 78 +/- 58 pg/mL vs. 139 +/- 61 pg/mL, P = 0.005), whereas no significant differences were observed in the other measures of cardiac function. CONCLUSION: Plasma levels of A-type and B-type natriuretic peptides appear to be more sensitive markers of @entity712 than conventional echocardiographic parameters and cardiothoracic ratios. Measurement of these hormones might be useful for monitoring the effects of treatment with @entity1289 inhibitors.
