Background: Recombinant human B-type natriuretic peptide (rhBNP) has been indicated for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). However, the therapeutic efficacy of intravenous rhBNP is not always satisfactory in patients with extremely high blood BNP levels. In this study, we evaluated the effects of rhBNP on patients with different BNP levels.
Methods: One hundred and five patients with ADHF whose left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was <40%, were assigned to a high BNP group (BNP ≤ 3000 pg/mL) or an extra-high BNP group (BNP > 3000 pg/mL) , depending on their admission plasma BNP levels. Each group was then subdivided into rhBNP or dobutamine subgroups according to intravenous administration with either rhBNP or dobutamine for 24-72h. In the high BNP group, 58 patients were randomized to subgroup rhBNP (n = 28) and subgroup dobutamine (n = 30). In the extra-high BNP group, 47 patients were randomized to subgroup rhBNP (n = 24) and subgroup dobutamine (n = 23). The effects of rhBNP and dobutamine on patients in the high and extra-high BNP groups were compared.
Results: In the high BNP group, rhBNP was more efficient than dobutamine at improving NYHA classification (P < 0.05), decreasing plasma BNP levels (P < 0.05), increasing LVEF (P < 0.05), and reducing hospital length of stay (P < 0.05). However, rhBNP displayed no superior therapeutic efficacy to dobutamine in the extra-high BNP group. Adverse cardiovascular events in patients treated with rhBNP were similar to adverse events in patients treated with dobutamine in both the high and extra-high BNP groups.
Conclusions: rhBNP was more efficient than dobutamine at improving heart function in patients with ADHF when plasma BNP was ≤3000 pg/mL. However, rhBNP treatment showed no advantages over dobutamine when plasma BNP reached extremely high levels (>3000 pg/mL).
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01837849.