The prognostic value of the N-amino terminal fragment of the prohormone brain 
natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is uncertain. We 
sought to determine whether NT-proBNP levels were associated with functional 
outcomes after AIS. From August 2012 to October 2013, consecutive first-ever AIS 
patients admitted to the Department of Emergency of the First Affiliated 
Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China, were included in this study. 
Plasma NT-proBNP levels were measured from admission. Outcomes were measured as 
90-day modified Rankin Scale score ('good outcome'=0-2 vs. 'poor'). Multivariate 
logistic regression was used to assess associations between NT-proBNP levels and 
outcomes. Predictive performance of NT-proBNP as compared with the clinical 
model was assessed by comparing receiver-operating characteristic curves. During 
this study period, 217 consecutive patients with AIS were included and completed 
90 days of follow-up. There was a strong positive correlation between the plasma 
level of NT-proBNP and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 
(r=0.415, P=0.000). Plasma levels of NT-proBNP in patients with an unfavorable 
outcome were significantly higher than those in patients with a favorable 
outcome [3432 (interquartile range, 1100-54991) vs. 978 (interquartile range, 
123-1705) pg/ml; P=0.000]. In multivariate analyses, after adjusting for all 
other significant outcome predictors, the NT-proBNP level that remained can be 
seen as an independent unfavorable outcome predictor, with an adjusted odds 
ratios of 4.14 (95% confidence interval, 2.72-7.99; P=0.000). Our results show 
that plasma NT-proBNP levels were significantly elevated in patients with an 
unfavorable outcome and might be of clinical importance as a supplementary tool 
for the assessment of functional outcomes in patients with AIS.