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Objectives To investigate the changes of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) before and after carvedilol treatment. Methods Plasma BNP concentrations of patients with CHF (n = 56) before and after carvedilol treatment and of normal controls (n = 60) were measured with specific radioimmunoassay. Left ventricular ejection fraction of patients with CHF before and after carvedilol was measured with 99mTc gated cardiac blood pool scintigraphy. Results The results showed that plasma BNP concentrations of patients fractions (r = -0. 68 ,P <0. 01). After three months treatment of carvedilol, plasma BNP concentrations fell to (79. 65(P <0. 01). Conclusions These results indicate that plasma BNP concentrations are increased in patients with CHF,and markedly increased according to the severity of heart failure classified by NYH classification. Carvedilol can markedly decrease plasma BNP concentrations and improve left ventricular function in patients with CHD.