Cardiovascular abnormalities and NT proBNP levels in Ugandan adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease

Cardiovascular abnormalities contribute to morbidity in sickle cell disease, but data from adolescents and young adults in sub-Saharan Africa are limited. We conducted a hospital-based pilot cross-sectional study among 60 participants aged 13–30 years with homozygous sickle cell disease at steady-state at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda. All participants underwent NT-proBNP measurement, electrocardiography, and transthoracic echocardiography. Forty-seven participants (78.3%) had at least one cardiovascular abnormality, most commonly T-wave abnormalities (46.7%), left ventricular hypertrophy by voltage criteria (30.0%), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (28.3%), and probable pulmonary hypertension (11.7%). Five participants (8.3%) had NT-proBNP concentrations ≥ 160 pg/mL. Cardiovascular abnormalities were present in 60% of participants with elevated NT-proBNP and 80% with concentrations below the threshold; the adjusted prevalence ratio was 0.75 (95% CI 0.36–1.57). No statistically significant association was detected, but the small number of participants with elevated NT-proBNP resulted in substantial imprecision. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the relationship between NT-proBNP and specific cardiovascular phenotypes in this population.