The finding of significant lower immediate postoperative BNP levels in non-AF “off-pump” cases delivered by the performed subgroup analysis comparing “on-“ with “off-pump” operated patients underscore the triggering effect, which may have cardioplegia, the cardiopulmonary bypass per se, and in a lesser extent manipulations of the heart during the “cardiac arrest” phase on the intraoperative release of BNP. Here, NPPB is linked to cardiac arrest.