The association between N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide and lipoprotein particle concentration plateaus at higher N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide values: Multi-Ethnic Study on Atherosclerosis

Metabolomic profiling implicates adiponectin as mediator of a favorable lipoprotein profile associated with NT-proBNP

Background

The N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is an important biomarker for the diagnosis of heart failure. Apart from this and only recently recognized, NT-proBNP levels associate with higher HDL- and lower LDL-cholesterol levels comprising a favorable blood lipid profile. To further examine this observation, the lipoprotein profile in relation to NT-proBNP was examined in-depth by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR). We complemented this investigation with a state-of-the-art untargeted metabolomics approach.

Methods

Lipoprotein particles were determined by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy in 872 subjects without self-reported diabetes from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)-TREND with available NT-proBNP measurements. Comprehensive metabolomics data for plasma and urine samples were obtained. Linear regression models were performed to assess the associations between serum concentrations of NT-proBNP and the metabolites/lipoprotein particles measured in plasma or urine.

Results

An increase in serum NT-proBNP was associated with a benefical lipoprotein profile, including a decrease in VLDL, IDL and LDL-particles along with an increase in large HDL particles. These findings were replicated in a second independent cohort. Serum concentrations of NT-proBNP showed significant inverse associations with seven plasma metabolites while associations with 39 urinary metabolites, mostly comprising amino acids and related intermediates, were identified. Mediation analyses revealed adiponection as mediating factor for the associations observed with lipoproteins particles.

Conclusions

Most of the metabolic changes associated with NT-proBNP implicate significant influence on the blood lipid profile besides vasodilatory and the diuretic action of BNP signaling. Our data suggest that the more favorable lipoprotein profile as associated with elevated NT-proBNP concentrations in mainly cardiac healthy individuals might relate to adiponectin signaling indicating even indirect cardio-protective effects for NT-proBNP.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12933-018-0765-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Short term variation in NTproBNP after lifestyle intervention in severe obesity

Aim

Natriuretic peptides are not only involved in cardiovascular adaption to various conditions, but also in metabolic diseases. We performed this study to assess the effect of a very short time of lifestyle inpatient intervention on NTproBNP values in normotensive subjects with severe obesity and normal cardiac function.

Methods

We recruited 14 consecutive obese normotensive subjects with normal cardiac function who were aged 30 years and more and were referred to inpatient rehabilitation in an academic clinic over a two months period. They were examined at baseline and after a 3-weeks program including dietary intervention with hypocaloric diet and assisted personalized physical aerobic and anaerobic activities and compared to age, sex and BMI-matched control subjects under usual care.

Results

BMI significantly decreased (40.8 ±1.6 vs 42.3 ± 1.6 kg/m², p <0.0001). Median reduction in body weight was 4.9 kg (interquartile range 2.4–5.2 kg). After diet and exercise-induced weight loss, plasma NTproBNP levels showed an almost two-fold increase, which was statistically significant (28.2 ± 12.3 vs 17.2 ± 13.2 ng/L, p = 0.01), and particularly relevant in the subgroup with NT-proBNP values below median values compared to those with higher values (p = 0.02). No significant variations were found in control subjects (18.0 ± 13.0 vs 16.5 ± 11.2 ng/L, p = 0.18). The lipid profile was significantly ameliorated, and both HbA1c and insulin levels showed a marginally non-significant decrease after treatment.

Conclusions

An almost two-fold increase in NTproBNP levels was evident after a very short time period of lifestyle intervention in normotensive severe obese patients without cardiac disease. This finding might have clinical relevance, considering the role of NT-proBNP as risk factor of impaired glucose tolerance.

Longitudinal assessment of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and risk of diabetes in older adults: The cardiovascular health study

INTRODUCTION

Natriuretic peptides have a well-recognized role in cardiovascular homeostasis. Recently, higher levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) have also been associated with decreased risk of diabetes in middle-aged adults. Whether this association persists into older age, where the pathophysiology of diabetes changes, has not been established, nor has its intermediate pathways.

METHODS

We investigated the relationship between N-terminal (NT)-proBNP and incident diabetes in 2359 older adults free of cardiovascular disease or chronic kidney disease in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

RESULTS

We documented 348 incident cases of diabetes over 12.6years of median follow-up. After adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, anti-hypertensive treatment, smoking, alcohol use, and LDL, each doubling of NT-proBNP was associated with a 9% lower risk of incident diabetes (HR=0.91 [95% CI: 0.84-0.99]). Additional adjustment for waist circumference, physical activity, estimated glomerular filtration rate or C-reactive protein did not influence the association. Among putative mediators, HDL and triglycerides, adiponectin, and especially homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, all appeared to account for a portion of the lower risk associated with NT-proBNP.

CONCLUSION

In older adults without prevalent cardiovascular or kidney disease, higher NT-proBNP is associated with decreased risk of incident diabetes even after adjustment for traditional risk factors. These findings suggest that the metabolic effects of natriuretic peptides persist late in life and offer a potential therapeutic target for prevention of diabetes in older people.

Computerized tomography measured liver fat is associated with low levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic protein (NT-proBNP). Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is inversely associated with diabetes mellitus, obesity and metabolic syndrome. We aim to characterize the association between NT-proBNP and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition strongly associated with metabolic syndrome.

METHODS

4529 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) free of cardiovascular disease, without self-reported liver disease and not diabetic at their baseline visit in 2000-2002 were included in this analysis. NAFLD was defined by a liver attenuation <40 HU. Relative prevalence (RP) for NAFLD was assessed adjusted for age, race, and sex, percentage of dietary calories derived from fat, total intentional exercise, alcoholic drinks per week, and interleukin-6 by quintiles of NT-proBNP. Adjusted linear spline model was used to characterize a non-linear association between NT-proBNP and liver fat. The inflection point (IP) was the NT-proBNP concentration where there was a change in slope in the association between liver attenuation and NT-proBNP.

RESULTS

RP for NAFLD decreased by 30% from the lowest to the highest quintile of NT-proBNP, p=0.01. We observed an inverse linear association between NT-proBNP and liver fat, which plateaued (IP) at an NT-proBNP concentration of 45pg/mL. Linear regression coefficient (SE) per unit of NT-proBNP less than and greater than or equal to IP was of 0.05 (0.02), p=0.001 and 0.0006 (0.0008), p=0.5, respectively; differences between slopes, p<0.0001.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cross-sectional study of a community based multiethnic sample of non-diabetic adults, low levels of NT-proBNP are associated with greater prevalence of NAFLD.

Role of Coronary Artery Calcium Score of Zero and Other Negative Risk Markers for Cardiovascular Disease: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

BACKGROUND

Limited attention has been paid to negative cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers despite their potential to improve medical decision making. We compared 13 negative risk markers using diagnostic likelihood ratios (DLRs), which model the change in risk for an individual after the result of an additional test.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We examined 6814 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Coronary artery calcium score of 0, carotid intima-media thickness <25th percentile, absence of carotid plaque, brachial flow-mediated dilation >5% change, ankle-brachial index >0.9 and <1.3, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein <2 mg/L, homocysteine <10 µmol/L, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide <100 pg/mL, no microalbuminuria, no family history of coronary heart disease (any/premature), absence of metabolic syndrome, and healthy lifestyle were compared for all and hard coronary heart disease and all CVD events over the 10-year follow-up. Models were adjusted for traditional CVD risk factors. Among all negative risk markers, coronary artery calcium score of 0 was the strongest, with an adjusted mean DLR of 0.41 (SD, 0.12) for all coronary heart disease and 0.54 (SD, 0.12) for CVD, followed by carotid intima-media thickness <25th percentile (DLR, 0.65 [SD, 0.04] and 0.75 [SD, 0.04], respectively). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein <2 mg/L and normal ankle-brachial index had DLRs >0.80. Among clinical features, absence of any family history of coronary heart disease was the strongest (DLRs, 0.76 [SD, 0.07] and 0.81 [SD, 0.06], respectively). Net reclassification improvement analyses yielded similar findings, with coronary artery calcium score of 0 resulting in the largest, most accurate downward risk reclassification.

CONCLUSIONS

Negative results of atherosclerosis-imaging tests, particularly coronary artery calcium score of 0, resulted in the greatest downward shift in estimated CVD risk. These results may help guide discussions on the identification of individuals less likely to receive net benefit from lifelong preventive pharmacotherapy.