N-terminal Pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide is Associated with Arterial Stiffness as Measured According to the Brachial-ankle Pulse Wave Velocity in Patients with Takayasu Arteritis.

Aim: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and the degree of arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality in a variety of diseases. In addition, the levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a marker of ventricular dysfunction, have been found to be higher in patients with TA than in healthy controls. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the plasma NT-proBNP levels and arterial stiffness in patients with TA.

Methods: Seventy-two patients with TA were recruited in this study. The participants were analyzed with respect to the NT-proBNP levels, cardiovascular risk factors, TA-related variables and arterial stiffness assessed according to the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). The patients were divided into two groups based on the mean baPWV, and the association between the NT-proBNP and baPWV values was tested using uni- and multivariate analyses.

Results: Twenty-four patients (33.3%) were classified into the high-baPWV group. The body mass index (p=0.035), systolic blood pressure (p＜0.001), diastolic blood pressure (p=0.001), mean blood pressure (p＜0.001), plasma NT-proBNP levels (p=0.036) and total cholesterol levels (p=0.030) were significantly higher in the high-baPWV group than in the low-baPWV group. A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed the mean blood pressure (p＜0.001), age (p=0.002), and NT-proBNP level (p=0.002) to be independent determinants of the ba-PWV after adjusting for other confounding factors.

Conclusions: The plasma NT-proBNP levels are independently associated with the degree of arterial stiffness measured according to the baPWV in patients with TA.