The clinical use of N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide in elderly patients with mental illness

BackgroundSerum N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is regarded as a marker of vascular disease and has previously been shown to exhibit an increased frequency of pathological values in elderly patients with mental illness with vascular disease compared to patients without vascular disease. Vascular disease plays an important role in cognitive impairment in elderly patients with mental illness.MethodWe have investigated the relation between NT-proBNP, vascular disease and cognition in consecutively enrolled elderly patients with mental illness.ResultsNT-proBNP level is increased in patients with vascular disease compared to patients without vascular disease, and a logistic regression analysis showed that NT-proBNP was a significant predictor of vascular disease. However, NT-proBNP level did not predict cognition as assessed by MMSE score. NT-proBNP level also showed a highly significant relation to mortality in all patients.ConclusionDeterminations of NT-proBNP could be used in elderly patients with mental illness to detect patients in need of control and treatment of vascular risk factors. The levels of NT-proBNP may also provide prognostic information.