[Alteration of atrial natriuretic peptide in progressive muscular dystrophy with congestive heart failure]

Abstract

We measured plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in 9 patients of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and 3 patients of Becker muscular dystrophy with congestive heart failure (CHF). Administration of digitalis, catecholamine and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor resulted in decrease of ANP levels as well as improvement of clinical symptoms of CHF and cardiomegaly. Four DMD patients whose ANP levels were more than 200 pg/ml after the treatment of CHF showed poor prognosis. These results suggest that ANP is a useful marker for the treatment of CHF in progressive muscular dystrophy.