NT-proBNP Predicts All-Cause Mortality in a Population of Insurance Applicants, Follow-up Analysis and Further Observations.

Objective: - Further refine the independent value of NT-proBNP, accounting for the impact of other test results, in predicting all-cause mortality for individual life insurance applicants with and without heart disease.

Method: - Using the Social Security Death Master File and multivariate analysis, relative mortality was determined for 245,322 life insurance applicants ages 50 to 89 tested for NT-proBNP (almost all based on age and policy amount) along with other laboratory tests and measurement of blood pressure and BMI.

Results: - NT-proBNP values ≤75 pg/mL included the majority of applicants denying heart disease and had the lowest risk, while values >500 pg/mL for females and >300 pg/mL for males had very high relative risk.

NT-proBNP as a predictor of all-cause mortality in a population of insurance applicants.

Objective: Quantify the independent value of NT-proBNP in predicting all-cause mortality for individual life insurance applicants and establish risk-based reference ranges.

Method: By use of the Social Security Death Master File and multivariate analysis, relative mortality was determined for 144,027 life insurance applicants tested (almost all routinely rather than for cause) for NT-proBNP along with other laboratory testing and measurement of BP and BMI.

Results: Risk increased substantially for NT-proBNP values > 300 pg/mL in women and > 200 pg/mL in men after age, smoking status and other cardiovascular risk factors were accounted for.