NT-proBNP has a high negative predictive value to rule-out short-term cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: This study evaluated the predictive value of NT-proBNP for patients with diabetes mellitus and compared the prognostic aptitude of this neurohumoral marker to traditional markers of cardiovascular events.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A prospective observational study was conducted in 631 diabetic patients. The composite endpoint consisted of unplanned hospitalization for cardiovascular events or death within the observation period of 12 months. Of all variables analysed (age, gender, history of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease/any cardiac disease, smoking, duration of diabetes, body mass index, blood pressure, New York Heart Association-class, Dyspnoea score, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, LDL-cholesterol, HbA(1c), creatinine, glomerular filtration rate), the logarithm of NT-proBNP gave the most potent information in a stepwise Cox regression analysis (P < 0.0001). Bootstrapping with 500 samples supports this result in 95% samples. The negative predictive value of a normal value (<125 pg/mL) of NT-proBNP for short-term cardiovascular events in diabetic patients is 98%.

CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated a strong and independent correlation between NT-proBNP and short-term prognosis of cardiovascular events for patients with diabetes mellitus. With a high negative predictive value it can identify individuals who are not at intermediate risk for cardiovascular events. NT-proBNP proved to be of higher predictive value than traditional cardiovascular markers, in this unselected cohort.