Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition on plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels in patients with heart failure

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of BNP (Nesiritide) and Angiotensin II, published as a randomized controlled trial.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, on plasma levels of human brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity (hBNP-li) in patients with congestive heart failure. 2.

Who Took Part

The study group was 11 subjects.

The age groups tagged for this paper are middle-aged adults and older adults, men only.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, single-blind and placebo-controlled.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got BNP (Nesiritide) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

In this single-blind BNP (Nesiritide) study one party knew the assignments and the other did not.

Some subjects received a placebo instead of BNP (Nesiritide), giving a reference point.

Plasma hBNP-li, atrial natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity (ANP-li) and angiotensin II-like immunoreactivity (ANG II-li) levels and blood pressure were measured. 3.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Angiotensin II, Atrial Natriuretic Factor, Blood Pressure, Captopril, Heart Failure, Natriuretic Peptide, Brain and Nerve Tissue Proteins.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, single-blind and placebo-controlled study of BNP (Nesiritide) and Angiotensin II in 11 subjects.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1992 (Clinical science (London, England : 1979)), a journal based in England.

More context: the BNP (Nesiritide) compound page and the Angiotensin II compound page, all human trials.