Novel Parameter to Predict Left Ventricular Filling Pressure: Product of Log B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Ratio of Mitral Inflow Early and Late Diastolic Filling Velocities

Abstract Background Several echocardiographic parameters are currently used to evaluate left ventricular (LV) filling pressure. However, these parameters are not always consistent in the clinical setting. We aimed to determine a novel parameter by multiplying log B-type natriuretic peptide (lnBNP) and the ratio of mitral inflow early and late diastolic filling velocities (E/A) for the prediction of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). Methods and Results One hundred ninety-eight patients suspected of chronic heart failure were analyzed. The product of lnBNP and E/A (BNP × E/A) showed the highest correlation coefficient with mean PCWP ( R  = 0.7326) compared with E/A ( R  = 0.7010) and E/e′ ( R  = 0.3922). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that BNP × E/A was associated with elevated PCWP (odds ratio 1.640, 95% confidence interval 1.312–2.197; P  .01). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for detecting elevated PCWP, BNP × E/A showed the largest area under the curve (AUC) compared with E/A and E/e′ (0.880 vs 0.827 and 0.788, respectively; P  .05). BNP × E/A still showed large AUC (0.842) for detection of elevated PCWP in patients with normal LV ejection fraction. Conclusion BNP × E/A is a useful parameter for detecting elevated PCWP regardless of the LV ejection fraction.