The role of brain natriuretic peptide in atrial fibrillation: a substudy of the Substrate Modification with Aggressive Blood Pressure Control for Atrial Fibrillation (SMAC-AF) trial

What Was Tested

Researchers studied BNP (Nesiritide) in the context of low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Catheter ablation is an established therapy for atrial fibrillation but is limited by recurrence; efforts have been made to identify biomarkers that predict recurrence.

The researchers investigated the effect of baseline NT-proBNP on AF recurrence following catheter ablation in patients randomized to aggressive (< 120/80 mmHg) or standard blood pressure management (< 140/90 mmHg) in the Substrate Modification with Aggressive Blood Pressure Control trial (SMAC-AF).

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 173 patients were involved.

PubMed indexes the participants as middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

The SMAC-AF study included 173 patients resistant or intolerant to at least one class I or III antiarrhythmic drug.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized study.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the BNP (Nesiritide) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Action Potentials, Antihypertensive Agents, Atrial Fibrillation, Biomarkers, Blood Pressure, Canada and Catheter Ablation.

Author keywords: Recurrence.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of BNP (Nesiritide) in 173 patients in people with low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 5 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2021 (BMC cardiovascular disorders), a journal based in England.

More context: the BNP (Nesiritide) compound page, Low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension research.