These results appear in the first issue for April 2006 of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society.

Juergen Behr, M.D., of the Division of Pulmonary Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine at Ludwig Maximillians University in Munich, Germany, and six associates studied brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in the circulation of 176 consecutive adult patients with a variety of pulmonary diseases. These patients also underwent right heart catheterization, lung function testing, and a 6-minute walk test.

BNP, a hormone produced by the heart, is activated by different cardiovascular diseases. Normally, the level of BNP in the blood is low. However, if the heart has to work harder over a longer period of time due to disease, the level of BNP rises.

The investigators noted that the purpose of their research was to uncover a safe, easy-to-perform method of identifying patients with increased probability of clinically significant pulmonary hypertension.

"In the absence of significant left heart disease, BNP serves as a marker of an increased workload in the right heart originating from idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension," Dr. Behr said.

During the 10 months following the study, 31 participants (18 percent) died of cardiopulmonary causes. "Patients who died during the follow-up period more frequently had elevated BNP levels and prominent pulmonary hypertension with significantly impaired right heart function," Dr. Behr continued.

The authors identified a pulmonary artery pressure greater than 35 mm Hg as a degree of significant pulmonary hypertension. Such measurements led to decreased 6-minu
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Contact: Suzy Martin
smartin@thoracic.org
212-315-8631
American Thoracic Society
31-Mar-2006