The prognostic value of combined NT-pro-BNP levels and NIHSS scores in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: Determining the prognoses of patients with acute ischemic stroke is difficult. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether the combined assessment of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) variables is relevant to the prognosis of patients with acute cerebral ischemic infarction in-hospital.

METHODS: We enrolled 122 patients who were within three days of onset of acute ischemic stroke. We measured the plasma NT-pro-BNP level of each patient within 72 hours and recorded the NIHSS score on admission. The factors associated with death were investigated using a multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (18.85%) died during hospitalization. The frequency of atrial fibrillation (AF), the NIHSS score on admission (8.69±4.87 in the survival group vs. 14.48±2.54 in the deceased group, p<0.001) and the plasma NT-pro-BNP level (median: 926.30 pg/mL in the survival group vs. 3,280 pg/mL in the deceased group, p<0.001; Lg NT-pro-BNP 2.82±0.66 in the survival group vs. 3.46±0.52 in the deceased group, p<0.001) were each significantly higher in the deceased group than in the survival group. The optimal cut-off levels for the NT-pro-BNP level and NIHSS score to distinguish the deceased group from the survival group were 1,583.50 pg/mL and 12.5, respectively. Patients with both elevated NT-pro-BNP levels (>1,583.50 pg/mL) and NIHSS scores on admission (NIHSS >12.5) had a substantially higher mortality rate than those without elevated NT-pro-BNP levels and NIHSS scores (89.47% vs. 9.84%, p<0.001). A multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that a NT-pro-BNP level >1,583.50 pg/mL (OR, 5.001; 95% CI, 1.233 to 20.287, p=0.024) and a NIHSS score >12.5 (OR, 1.465; 95% CI, 1.191 to 1.801, p<0.001) were each independent factors associated with in-hospital death.

CONCLUSION: The plasma NT-pro-BNP level and the NIHSS score added independent and incremental contributions to the prognostic stratification of patients with acute ischemic stroke.