Minami Y, et al. - The link between elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and sudden death risk was evaluated in a cohort of 346 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Researchers measured plasma BNP levels at initial evaluation. Patients with high BNP level (>312 pg/mL) were at a significantly higher risk of sudden death and the combined endpoint of sudden death or potentially lethal arrhythmic events vs patients with a low BNP level (≤312 pg/mL). In patients with HCM, elevated BNP levels could have a relationship with sudden death and the combination of sudden death or potentially lethal arrhythmic events.