Table 2

Patients with ischaemic cardiac stress tests had higher NT-proBNP levels at all time points, as well as higher absolute and relative stress-delta values

CharacteristicsPositive for ischaemia
(n=26)
Negative for ischaemia
(n=292)
All patients
(N=318*)
P values
Baseline NT-proBNP<0.001
 n26292318
 Median (25th, 75th)93.3 (31.1, 291.2)31.7 (9.8, 71.0)34.3 (10.7, 78.4)
 Min, max0.0, 788.00.0, 23430.0, 2343
2-Hour post-stress NT-proBNP†<0.001
 n25289314
 Median (25th, 75th)120.5 (38.8, 360.8)38.9 (10.3, 81.6)40.0 (11.3, 88.3)
 Min, max0.0, 865.80.0, 18000.0, 1800
Absolute 2-hour stress-delta NT-proBNP<0.001
 n25289314
 Median (25th, 75th)10.4 (6.0, 51.7)1.7 (−0.4, 8.7)2.1 (−0.3, 9.5)
 Min, max−152, 174.3−543, 108.0−543, 174.3
Percentage 2-hour stress-delta NT-proBNP‡0.05
 n23240263
 Median (25th, 75th)15.7 (10.1, 31.1)7.9 (−4.6, 25.1)9.3 (−4.1, 25.5)
 Min, max−45.9, 75.8−100, 189.0−100, 189.0
4-Hour post-stress NT-proBNP0.009
 n16155171
 Median (25th, 75th)78.2 (38.2, 244.5)35.5 (13.3, 81.4)39.3 (14.8, 87.3)
 Min, max10.9, 649.20.0, 17570.0, 1757
Absolute 4-hour stress-delta NT-proBNP0.004
 n16155171
 Median (25th, 75th)14.8 (5.0, 22.3)1.0 (−2.0, 10.3)1.8 (−1.3, 12.4)
 Min, max−36.9, 253.2−586, 64.5−586, 253.2
Percentage 4-hour stress-delta NT-proBNP0.05
 n15135150
 Median (25th, 75th)26.9 (6.4, 63.9)6.3 (−8.2, 30.5)8.2 (−7.3, 39.1)
 Min, max−17.1, 109.5−100, 285.5−100, 285.5
  • *2 patients with indeterminate stress tests excluded.

  • †Four patients had baseline and 4-hour samples drawn, but no 2-hour samples.

  • ‡Unable to calculate percentage delta in patients with undetectable baseline values.

  • NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide.