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AIMS: Plasma aldosterone levels have been shown to be associated with adverse clinical outcomes after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We investigated whether aldosterone levels in patients presenting with STEMI or non-STEMI, are predictive of mortality during prolonged follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS: Aldosterone levels were assayed in plasma taken from 583 patients within 24-96 h following acute myocardial infarction (MI). The median plasma aldosterone level was 108 pmol/L and all values were below the upper limit of the normal range (800 pmol/L) except for five patients (0.9%). Aldosterone tertile was significantly associated with increasing plasma levels of NTproBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide), BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide), epinephrine, and endothelin-1 (P or=25.3% mortality, P >or= 0.026). CONCLUSION: Plasma aldosterone levels post-MI are independent predictors of survival and hospitalization for heart failure over a 5-year-follow-up period.
Palmer et al. (Tue,) studied this question.