[Prognostic value of N-terminal pro-BNP-type natriuretic peptide in patients with stable coronary heart disease--secondary publication].

We assessed the relationship between NT-proBNP levels and all-cause mortality in patients with stable coronary heart disease. NT-proBNP was measured in 1,034 patients referred for elective coronary angiography. In a multivariable Cox regression analysis, the hazard ratio for death from any cause for patients with NT-proBNP levels in the fourth quartile as compared with those in the first quartile was 2.

Effect of obesity and being overweight on long-term mortality in congestive heart failure: influence of left ventricular systolic function.

Aims: Previous studies have suggested that a high body mass index (BMI) is associated with an improved outcome in congestive heart failure (CHF). However, the studies addressing this problem have not included enough patients with non-systolic heart failure to evaluate how left ventricular systolic function interacts with obesity on prognosis in CHF. The aim of this study was to evaluate how BMI influences mortality in patients hospitalized with CHF, and to address in particular whether the effect of BMI is influenced by left ventricular (LV) systolic function.