Brain natriuretic peptide as a biomarker for the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction in postmenopausal women with arterial hypertension

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14739/2310-1210.2026.4.354341

Keywords:

arterial hypertension, postmenopause, diastolic dysfunction, left ventricular hypertrophy, brain natriuretic peptide, myocardial infarction

Abstract

Aim: to evaluate the diagnostic value of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels for the diagnosis of preclinical chronic heart failure in postmenopausal women with arterial hypertension (AH) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) with varying degrees of diastolic dysfunction (DD).

Materials and methods. A total of 192 postmenopausal women from the Podillia region (Ukraine) were enrolled. The control group comprised 80 women without signs of cardiovascular pathology. The main study group included 112 patients diagnosed with AH. Plasma BNP concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All participants underwent echocardiography. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistica v6.1. Optimal BNP cutoff values were determined using Odds ratio calculator MedCalc Statistical Software Ltd.

Results. Plasma BNP levels in postmenopausal women with AH and LVH were significantly elevated in case of eccentric LVH (79.12 ± 4.35 pg/ml) and DD (73.84 ± 2.25 pg/ml; p < 0.01). The conventionally accepted BNP threshold of 35.0 pg/ml demonstrated insufficient specificity (14.28 %) for the identification of DD in this population. ROC curve analysis identified optimal BNP cutoff values of 69.9 pg/ml for early diagnosis of DD and 72.90 pg/ml for LVH detection, both substantially exceeding the conventional threshold.

Conclusions. Plasma BNP levels in postmenopausal women from the Podillia region of Ukraine with AH are significantly elevated in the presence of LVH and DD. The universally applied BNP threshold of 35.0 pg/ml (regardless of sex specifics) demonstrates insufficient diagnostic specificity. The proposed BNP levels may enhance screening accuracy for identifying patients with AH and LVH who require echocardiographic examination, particularly in resource-limited settings where echocardiography is not immediately available, contributing to the development of high-quality treatment and rehabilitation measures and improving prognosis for such patients.

Author Biographies

V. M. Zhebel, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia

MD, PhD, DSc, Professor, Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty No. 2

O. O. Sakovych, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia

MD, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty No. 2

T. V. Polishchuk, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia

MD, PhD, Assistant of the Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty No. 2

O. L. Starzhynska, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia

MD, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty No. 2

S. V. Franchuk, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia

MD, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty No. 2

M. O. Matokhniuk, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia

MD, PhD, Assistant at the Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty No. 2

O. K. Shevchuk, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia

MD, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty No. 2

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Published

2026-07-08

How to Cite

1.
Zhebel VM, Sakovych OO, Polishchuk TV, Starzhynska OL, Franchuk SV, Matokhniuk MO, Shevchuk OK. Brain natriuretic peptide as a biomarker for the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction in postmenopausal women with arterial hypertension. Zaporozhye Medical Journal [Internet]. 2026Jul.8 [cited 2026Jul.13];28(4):309-15. Available from: https://zmj.zsmu.edu.ua/article/view/354341

Issue

Vol. 28 No. 4 (2026)

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Original research

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Copyright (c) 2026 V. M. Zhebel, O. O. Sakovych, T. V. Polishchuk, O. L. Starzhynska, S. V. Franchuk, M. O. Matokhniuk, O. K. Shevchuk

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