NPPB and heart disorder: According to multivariate linear regression, white matter lesions [β = 0.722; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.624–0.819] and lacunar infarcts (β = 0.635; 95% CI, 0.508–0.762) were independently associated with BNP level, even after controlling for vascular risk factors and clinically manifesting cardiac diseases.