Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive power of optimal levels of markers for left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40% and for subsequent development of left ventricular failure (LVF)
| Optimum level | Sensitivity (%) | Specificity (%) | PPV (%) | NPV (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LVEF <40% | |||||
| BNP (pmol/l) | ⩾25 | 81 | 56 | 48 | 85 |
| ANF (pmol/l) | ⩾33 | 64 | 63 | 47 | 77 |
| N-ANF (pmol/l) | ⩾1620 | 66 | 43 | 37 | 71 |
| cGMP (nmol/l) | ⩾5.89 | 65 | 62 | 47 | 78 |
| Noradrenaline (nmol/l) | ⩾1.81 | 63 | 55 | 42 | 74 |
| Adrenaline (pmol/l) | ⩾144 | 71 | 50 | 32 | 65 |
| LVF | |||||
| BNP (pmol/l) | ⩾33 | 84 | 77 | 47 | 95 |
| ANF (pmol/l) | ⩾37 | 81 | 75 | 46 | 94 |
| N-ANF (pmol/l) | ⩾2200 | 84 | 69 | 42 | 94 |
| cGMP (nmol/l) | ⩾6.31 | 72 | 70 | 39 | 90 |
| Noradrenaline (nmol/l) | ⩾1.85 | 72 | 59 | 36 | 87 |
| Adrenaline (pmol/l) | ⩾156 | 71 | 56 | 34 | 86 |
| LVEF (%) | ⩽47 | 79 | 58 | 33 | 91 |
Highest values for each end point are given in bold type. Optimum levels of candidate indicators were selected from receiver operating characteristic curves (fig 3).
ANF, atrial natriuretic factor; BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; cGMP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; N-ANF, N-terminus ANF; NPV, negative predictive value; PPV, positive predictive value.