Combined use of brain natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein for predicting cardiovascular risk in outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Appropriate tools are necessary for predicting cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes mellitus because of their high incidence. In this study, we assessed whether a combination of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement were useful prognosticators in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. One hundred and nine patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged 52 to 93 years, were examined at outpatient clinics for blood, urinary samples, and echocardiography. They were then followed prospectively. During the average follow-up period of 30 months (range, 3 to 37), 15 patients (14%) had cardiovascular events: This was the first event in 5 patients and a recurrence in 10. Cox regression analysis showed that the past event (hazard ratio [HR] 4.819 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.299–17.881]; p = 0.019) and plasma BNP level (HR 1.007 [95% CI: 1.002–1.012]; p = 0.010] were independently significant factors for the cardiovascular events during the follow-up period. Patients with plasma BNP ≥53 pg/mL and CRP ≥0.95 mg/dL demonstrated the highest incidence in cardiovascular event, compared to those categorized into either or both low levels of BNP and CRP. This study suggests that combination of plasma BNP and CRP measurement provides the additive prognostic information of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.