Prognostic Accuracy of B-Natriuretic Peptide Measurements and Coronary Artery Calcium in Asymptomatic Subjects (from the Early Identification of Subclinical Atherosclerosis by Noninvasive Imaging Research [EISNER] Study)

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has prognostic implications in patients with acute and chronic cardiac symptoms. Its prognostic role in asymptomatic patients with evidence of subclinical disease remains unclear. The population of this study included 2,458 asymptomatic adults (47% women) with an average Framingham risk score of 8.8 ± 7% who underwent computed tomographic evaluation of coronary artery calcium (CAC). BNP levels were measured using the Triage CardioProfilER panel method. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate time to a cardiovascular (CV) event (n = 84; 16 deaths, 12 myocardial infarctions, 8 cerebrovascular accidents or transient ischemic attacks, and 48 diagnoses of incident symptomatic coronary disease). Relative risk was calculated. The median follow-up time was 3.9 years (25th and 75th percentiles 2.9 and 4.0). The relative hazard for a CV event ranged from 2.2 to 7.5 for BNP values of 40 to 99.9 and ≥100 pg/ml (p