In multivariate analyses with age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate, coronary artery disease and presence of heart failure as covariables, baseline BNP was the only natriuretic peptide to be independently predictive for the presence of paroxysmal AF on 7 d Holter monitoring (corrected odd's ratio 6.1 per ten-fold BNP, 95% CI 1.7 to 22.4, p = 0.006). The gene discussed is NPPB; the disease is heart failure.