Pregnant women may have highest NT-proBNP in first trimester compared to third trimester

Written By :  Medha Baranwal
Medically Reviewed By :  Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
Published On 2023-04-25 14:30 GMT   |   Update On 2023-04-25 14:30 GMT
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USA: A recent study published in JACC: Advances has shown significantly higher NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) in women in their pregnancy's first trimester compared to similarly aged nonpregnant women.

The researchers suggest "the dynamic nature of NT-proBNP should be considered when ordering NT-proBNP lab tests in pregnant women."

The pro-B-type natriuretic peptide is a prohormone cleaved into biologically active BNP and NT-proBNP. NT-proBNP is often used as an adjunct clinical measure for heart failure evaluation. Not much is known about expected physiologic NT-proBNP levels in pregnancy. Currently, there are no recognized reference values for NT-proBNP in pregnant women, making it challenging to interpret NT-proBNP in this setting. There have been no studies of NT-proBNP in a general population of pregnant women in the US. As NT-proBNP is often used for its negative predictive value, it is crucial to understand its distribution in the general population.

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To fill this knowledge gap, Anum S. Minhas, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and colleagues aimed to measure NT-proBNP in adult women, by trimester and pregnancy status, in a nationally representative sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2004.

A cross-sectional analysis of 2,134 women (546 pregnant) aged 20 to 40 without a history of CVD (cardiovascular disease) was performed.

The authors reported the following findings:

  • Among pregnant women in the first trimester, the prevalence of elevated NT-proBNP (>125 pg/mL) was 20.0% (SE, 6.6%) compared to 2.4% (SE, 0.8%) among women in the third trimester and 8.0% among nonpregnant women.
  • After adjustment for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors, NT-proBNP was 44% higher (absolute difference 26.4 pg/mL) in the first trimester of pregnancy compared to nonpregnant women.
  • Among pregnant women only, adjusted NT-proBNP was 46% lower (absolute difference −22.2 pg/mL) in women in the third trimester versus women in the first trimester.
  • NT-proBNP was inversely associated with body mass index and with systolic blood pressure.

"We found higher NT-proBNP levels in women in the pregnancy's first trimester compared with nonpregnant women and women in their later trimester," the researchers wrote. "Similarly, there was a higher prevalence of increased NT-proBNP in the first trimester versus nonpregnant women and those in late trimesters."

Across the second and third trimesters, systolic blood pressure and BMI were associated with lower NT-proBNP. The results suggest that NT-proBNP levels are dynamic throughout pregnancy and differ from nonpregnant women.

"Our findings indicate that NT-proBNP interpretation in pregnant women without CVD is complex," the researchers conclude. "BMI, trimester, and blood pressure may need to be considered for NT-proBNP assessment in pregnant women."

Reference:

Minhas, A. S., Rooney, M. R., Fang, M., Zhang, S., Ndumele, C. E., Tang, O., Schulman, S. P., Michos, E. D., McEvoy, J. W., Echouffo-Tcheugui, J., Christenson, R., & Selvin, E. (2023). Prevalence and Correlates of Elevated NT-proBNP in Pregnant Women in the General U.S. Population. JACC: Advances, 2(2), 100265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100265



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Article Source : JACC: Advances

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