| | NEJM -- Atrial natriuretic peptide and atrial pressure in patients with congestive heart failure |
 | | 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). |
| | 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. |
| | A step-up in peptide concentration was seen between the venous and right atrial plasma (P less than 0.002) and between the pulmonary and systemic arterial plasma (P less than 0.01), suggesting release of the peptide from the atria. |
| content.nejm.org /cgi/content/abstract/315/9/533 (1094 words) |
