MEHMET KARAGÜVEN, YAŞAR SERTBAŞ, NALAN OKUROĞLU, MELTEM SERTBAŞ, ALİ ÖZDEMİR
Southern Clinics of Istanbul Eurasia - 2024;35(4):346-351
Objective: N-terminal pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) is an important biomarker used in the diagnosis of heart failure. However, recent studies have shown that NT-proBNP is associated not only with cardiovascular diseases but also with other conditions such as pneumonia, renal failure, and malignancies. This study aims to investigate the impact of NT-proBNP on the prognosis of patients hospitalized in the internal medicine department. Methods: A retrospective evaluation was conducted on 971 patients hospitalized between January 2022 and October 2023. Patients were divided into two groups: those who were discharged and those who were transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or deceased, and their relationships with NT-proBNP levels were examined. Results: Patients with high NT-proBNP levels had a significantly higher risk of being transferred to the ICU or dying (Discharged vs. ICU/Deceased: 3732.15±7297 vs. 10923±12572; p<0.001). ROC analysis identified a cutoff value of >1826 pg/ml, above which the risk of ICU admission or death was found to be 5.44 times higher (OR: 5.44). When analyzed separately in patients with and without cardiac symptoms, the prognostic impact of NT-proBNP levels was significant in both groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: NT-proBNP can be used as an effective biomarker for predicting prognosis in both cardiac and non-cardiac diseases in patients hospitalized in internal medicine clinics.
