BACKGROUND: Serum N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is 
regarded as a marker of vascular disease and has previously been shown to 
exhibit an increased frequency of pathological values in elderly patients with 
mental illness with vascular disease compared to patients without vascular 
disease. Vascular disease plays an important role in cognitive impairment in 
elderly patients with mental illness.
METHOD: We have investigated the relation between NT-proBNP, vascular disease 
and cognition in consecutively enrolled elderly patients with mental illness.
RESULTS: NT-proBNP level is increased in patients with vascular disease compared 
to patients without vascular disease, and a logistic regression analysis showed 
that NT-proBNP was a significant predictor of vascular disease. However, 
NT-proBNP level did not predict cognition as assessed by MMSE score. NT-proBNP 
level also showed a highly significant relation to mortality in all patients.
CONCLUSION: Determinations of NT-proBNP could be used in elderly patients with 
mental illness to detect patients in need of control and treatment of vascular 
risk factors. The levels of NT-proBNP may also provide prognostic information.