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Updated: Jul 19, 2025
Isolation of Atrial Myocytes from Adult Mice
Published on: July 25, 2019
Racial and ethnic differences in circulating N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in US adults
Yvonne Commodore-Mensah1,2,3, Dan Wang1,2, Yein Jeon1
1Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Background:
The presence and interpretation of racial and ethnic differences in circulating N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a diagnostic biomarker for heart failure, are controversial.
Objective:
To examine racial and ethnic differences in NT-proBNP levels among the general US adult population.
Methods:
We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We included 4717 non-Hispanic White, 1675 non-Hispanic Black, and 2148 Mexican American adults aged 20 years or older without a history of cardiovascular disease. We examined the associations of race and ethnicity with NT-proBNP using linear and logistic regression models in the overall population and in a younger, 'healthy' subsample.
Results:
The mean age was 45 years. Median NT-proBNP levels were significantly lower among Black (29.3 pg/mL) and Mexican American adults (28.3.4 pg/mL) compared to White adults (49.1pg/mL, P-values<0.001). After adjusting for sociodemographic factors and cardiovascular risk factors, NT-proBNP was 34.4% lower (95%CI -39.2 to -29.3%) in Black adults and 22.8% lower (95%CI -29.4 to -15.5) in Mexican American adults compared to White adults. Our findings were consistent in a young, healthy subsample, suggesting non-cardiometabolic determinants of these differences.
Conclusions:
NT-proBNP levels are significantly lower among Black and Mexican American adults compared with White adults, independent of cardiometabolic risk. Although race/ethnicity is a poor proxy for genetic differences, our findings may have clinical implications for the management of HF. However, studies in diverse populations are needed to characterize the biological basis of NT-proBNP variation.
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