Hypertension
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
The value of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in determining antihypertensive benefit: observations from the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT).
We investigated 3 hypotheses: (1) N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predicts cardiovascular disease events in patients with hypertension, (2) NT-proBNP is associated with blood pressure variability, and (3) NT-proBNP predicts benefit from antihypertensive regimens. The Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT) randomized a subset of 6549 patients at risk with no history of coronary heart disease to either atenolol-based or amlodipine-based blood pressure-lowering treatment. During 5.5 years of follow-up, 485 cardiovascular disease cases accrued and were matched with 1367 controls. ⋯ Amlodipine recipients who achieved a 6-month NT-proBNP below the median (61 pg/mL) were at lower risk of cardiovascular disease when compared with those who did not (odds ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.91) after adjustment for confounders inclusive of baseline NT-proBNP and achieved blood pressure. If confirmed, these novel results suggest that NT-proBNP, as well as aiding cardiovascular disease risk assessment, may also help assess the efficacy of specific antihypertensive regimens. Further relevant studies seem warranted.