N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and outcomes in type B aortic dissection in China: a retrospective multicentre study

OBJECTIVES: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) is an unfavourable factor responsible for poor outcomes in the cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, the prognostic role of NT-pro-BNP in type B aortic dissection (TBAD) remains unclear. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between NT-pro-BNP levels and in-hospital and long-term adverse prognosis in patients with TBAD. DESIGN: A retrospective multicentre study. SETTING: Liutie Central Hospital, Nanfang Hospital and Huiyang Hospital in China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 657 consecutive patients with TBAD were enrolled in the study. NT-pro-BNP was measured at admission and included patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of NT-pro-BNP (pg/mL): <95 (n=220), 95–312 (n=218) and >312 (n=219). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Long-term mortality and in-hospital major adverse clinical events. RESULTS: Overall, in-hospital death occurred in 27 patients (4.1%), which was significantly higher in upper tertiles of NT-pro-BNP (0.5% vs 4.1% vs 7.8%, p<0.001). The incident of in-hospital major adverse clinical events increased along with higher NT-pro-BNP (1.4% vs 11.5% vs 15.5%, p<0.001). NT-pro-BNP >210 pg/mL had 81.5% sensitivity and 58.6% specificity for predicting in-hospital death (area under the curve= 0.774, 95% CI 0.692 to 0.855; p<0.001). After a median of 3.1 years of follow-up, 97 (14.8%) patients died. The Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that the long-term cumulative mortality was higher in patients with NT-pro-BNP >210 pg/mL compared with patients with NT-pro-BNP ≤210 pg/mL (log-rank=26.92, p<0.001). In multivariable Cox survival modelling, NT-pro-BNP >210 pg/mL was independently associated with long-term death (adjusted HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.45 to 4.22, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: NT-pro-BNP resulted as an independent predictor of adverse prognosis in patients with TBAD, thus could be used as a potential risk-stratification tool.