Plasma natriuretic peptides relate to distintict patterns of left ventricular dysfunction in chronic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Aims: In HFpEF patients plasma levels of natriuretic peptides (NP) are frequently low and in several HFpEF trials outcomes differed between patients with low and high NP levels. Structural and functional differences of echocardiographic LV remodeling in chronic HFpEF patients with low and high NP levels were therefore investigated. Methods and Results: Data of 83 stable HFpEF patients were derived from routine outpatient clinic visits. A gender-matched control group without cardiovascular disease (n=33) was identified. Median NT-proBNP was 161 pg/ml with 34.9 % of HFpEF patients below the diagnostic cut-off value of 125 pg/ml and 68.7 % of HFpEF patients below the eligibility threshold used in trials (