Usefulness of preprocedural serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels to predict long-term outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with normal troponin T levels.

Our objective was to evaluate the prognostic information of preprocedural serum N-terminus pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) levels to predict the long-term outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 891 consecutive patients with stable or unstable angina pectoris with normal serum troponin T levels (< or =0.03 microg/L) undergoing PCI were investigated. For each patient with a cardiovascular event (death or nonfatal myocardial infarction), 2 event-free patients were used as controls. The procedure was successful in all patients, and follow-up was complete. By the end of the follow-up period (mean 2.6 years), 75 patients had had a cardiovascular event (41 deaths and 34 nonfatal myocardial infarctions). On multivariate analysis, lesion severity, diabetes mellitus, and NT-pro-BNP levels in the highest quartile (>490 mg/L) were identified as independent factors for death or nonfatal myocardial infarction after PCI. In conclusion, preprocedural NT-pro-BNP levels are associated with long-term outcome after PCI. The use of NT-pro-BNP can be of value in risk stratification in patients undergoing PCI.