Sustained elevations in NT-proBNP among asymptomatic middle-aged adults may predict heart failure and death from any cause, according to US doctors.

Results from their cohort study, which included 9800 patients with NT-proBNP measurements taken six years apart, suggest that levels above 125ng/L across both visits were associated with a 2.4-fold increased risk of incident heart failure (HF).

Compared to those with consistently low concentrations of the cardiac biomarker, patients with elevated levels also had a 68% greater risk of all-cause mortality, the authors report in JAMA Cardiology.

“Our results support the utility of serial NT-proBNP measurements to predict cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic community-dwelling individuals, especially among patients with pre-HF, and may help guide therapeutic interventions to reduce the likelihood of progression to clinical HF.”