NPPB and heart failure: There were significant differences between the patients with SEC grade 0/1 (n = 108) and grade 2/3 (n = 22) in the incidence of previous heart failure, diabetes mellitus, cerebral infarction and paroxysmal AF, and in CHADS2 score, PT-INR, BNP, left atrial dimension and medication with warfarin or dabigatran (Table 3).