Factors Related to N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide as a Biomarker for Heart Failure

Abstract

ly leads to hospitalization and high treatment costs which are more than 800 billion won per year [4].Patients with heart failure experience physical symptoms, including fatigue, dyspnea, and generalized edema, depending on the condition's severity. These physical symptoms can have psychological effects, for example, anxiety, depression, and reduced self-efficacy, which can hinder daily activities, work, and a person's social life [6]. Heart failure is difficult to cure, and its characteristics often include recurrent cycles of deterioration and improvement. Consequently, rehospitalization rates con- Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationships between the N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels with the sociodemographic and clinical factors, self-care behaviors, and the physical symptom experiences in patients with heart failure. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized a convenience sample of adult outpatients and inpatients who attended a cardiology department in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. The data from 154 patients with heart failure were collected using a questionnaire, and their clinical data were extracted from their electronic medical records. Results: Compared with the patients with high NTproBNP levels, those with low NT-proBNP levels had significantly lower physical symptom experiences scores. Patients with low-and mid-NT-proBNP levels were more likely to be employed compared with those with high NT-proBNP levels. Patients with low NT-proB-NP levels had higher left ventricular ejection fractions, and were less likely to have arrhythmias and comorbidities. Conclusion: The results from this study showed that patients with more severe heart failure had higher physical symptom experiences scores; hence, individualizing treatment approaches based on heart failure severity is necessary. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.