Study objective – The aim of the study was to measure plasma neuropeptide Y, which is related to sympathetic nerve stimulation, in patients admitted to a coronary care unit and to relate the findings to clinical information.

Design – Plasma neuropeptide Y was measured on admission and the results were related to the cause of admission and to clinical information collected prospectively and retrospectively.

Subjects – Plasma subjects were obtained from 377 consecutive daytime admissions to the coronary care unit at Södersjukhuset. Results of only the first sample in each patient are included in this study, so 45 cases observed more than once (readmitted patients) were omitted. Six samples were abandoned because of technical failures. The study therefore comprises 326 patients. Clinical diagnoses were defined as acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, angina pectoris, and miscellaneous (all other diagnoses). Heart failure was defined according to a modified Killip scheme.

Measurements and results – Neuropeptide Y like immunoreactivity was measured by radioimmunoassay. Plasma concentrations above normal (>30 pmol·litre⁻¹) were found in association with: increased age, female sex, diuretic treatment, tachycardia, arterial hypotension, increased respiratory rate, and mortality in the unit. There was a strong relationship between high neuropeptide Y concentrations and: moderate left heart failure (63%), pulmonary oedema (90%), and cardiogenic shock (100%). Of patients without heart failure only 25% had raised neuropeptide Y. In multivariate analysis, the severity of heart failure (Killip class), heart rate and respiratory rate were the only variables that were significantly and independently related to plasma neuropeptide Y.

Conclusions – The presence and degree of circulatory disturbance, in particular tachycardia and left heart failure, were strongly related to increased plasma concentrations of neuropeptide Y in coronary care patients.