Survival times were longer in the BNP ≤100 pg/ml group when compared with the BNP >100 pg/ml group and statistically significant differences were observed (P<0.0001, χ2=94.11 and P=0.0039, χ2=8.33, for all patients and the HF patients with RLVSF, respectively). This evidence concerns the gene NPPB and hydrops fetalis.