Usefulness of NT-proBNP level for diagnosing left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients. A cardiac magnetic resonance study.

The presence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is associated with an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients. We investigated the diagnostic value of the N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level for detecting LVH in hypertensive patients with a conserved left ventricular ejection fraction. The study involved 27 consecutive patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed to determine left ventricular mass and the plasma NT-proBNP level was measured. A significant correlation was found between the NT-proBNP level and left ventricular mass (r=0.598; P=.001). Use of a cut-off point of 35 pg/mL enabled the presence of LVH to be identified with a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 69%-100%) and a specificity of 70.6% (95% CI, 44.1%-89.6%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.867 (95% CI, 0.73-1; P<.05). The plasma NT-proBNP level may be useful for identifying patients with LVH.