Atrial Natriuretic Peptide and Atrial Pressure in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

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Abstract
To define the relation between atrial pressures and the release of atrial natriuretic peptide, we measured plasma concentrations of the peptide in 26 patients with cardiac disease — 11 with normal atrial pressures and 15 with elevated atrial pressures (11 of these 15 had elevated pressures in both atria). Mean peptide levels (±SEM) in the peripheral venous blood were increased in the 11 patients with cardiac disease and normal atrial pressures, as compared with 60 healthy controls (48±14 vs. 17±2 pmol per liter). In the patients with elevated atrial pressures, peptide concentrations were increased twofold in peripheral venous, right atrial, pulmonary arterial, and systemic arterial plasma, as compared with the concentrations in the patients with normal atrial pressures.