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The Effect of Beta‐Blocker (Carvedilol) Therapy on N‐Terminal Pro‐Brain Natriuretic Peptide Levels and Echocardiographic Findings in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

Background: The favorable effects of beta‐blockers on decreasing mortality in contemporary heart failure management have been demonstrated in recent years. N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic (NT‐proBNP) peptide levels increase in patients with heart failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the NT‐proBNP levels and echocardiographic findings for the patients who received carvedilol therapy in addition to standard therapy for congestive heart failure. Methods and Results: A total of 25 patients with symptomatic congestive heart failure and 25 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Before introducing beta‐blocker into their therapy regimens, baseline transthoracic echocardiography recordings were made and venous blood samples were drawn for establishing NT‐proBNP levels. The patients were administered with a minimum dose of carvedilol. Three months after reaching the maximum tolerable dose, blood samples were drawn from the patients once again for NT‐proBNP measurements, and transthoracic echocardiography was performed. There was a significant drop in plasma NT‐proBNP levels at the end of the study in comparison to the baseline values (baseline: 381.20±35.06 pg/mL, at the end of the third month: 254.44±28.64 pg/mL; P < 0.001). While left ventricular end‐diastolic and end‐systolic diameters were observed to have significantly decreased as a result of the therapy (P < 0.001), left ventricular ejection fraction (P<0.001) was established to have increased significantly. Conclusions: Carvedilol therapy resulted in a marked decrease in plasma NT‐proBNP levels and increase left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with congestive heart failure.