Baseline and Serial Brain Natriuretic Peptide Level Predicts 5-Year Overall Survival in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Data From the REVEAL Registry

Background Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level is a prognostic biomarker in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Its impact on long-term overall survival (OS) was investigated in the Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-term Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Disease Management (REVEAL), a 5-year observational, multicenter, US registry of patients with PAH. Methods Patients were ≥ 18 years of age, met right heart catheterization criteria at rest, had World Health Organization group I PAH, and had BNP measurement at enrollment. Optimal BNP threshold was obtained via receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. OS was compared in patients with low (≤ 340 pg/mL) vs high (> 340 pg/mL) BNP at baseline; changes between baseline and last assessment were also examined. Patients were categorized based on baseline (low or high) and follow-up (low or high) BNP values; hazard ratios (HRs) for OS were estimated and compared using Cox regression. Results Overall, 1,426 patients were analyzed. Mortality risk was significantly higher in patients with baseline high vs low BNP (HR, 3.6; 95% CI, 3.0-4.2). BNP change analysis at ≤ 1 year postenrollment demonstrated that the low-low group had the lowest and the high-high group had the highest 5-year mortality risk (HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.19-0.27). Changes in BNP score also correlated with change of risk of death. Conclusions Baseline BNP threshold of 340 pg/mL strongly predicted survival up to 5 years in patients with PAH. A BNP reduction at 1 year since enrollment was associated with decreased mortality risk, whereas an increase in BNP at 1 year was associated with an increased mortality risk, supporting BNP as a surrogate marker of PAH survival.