Further, no significant interaction effect, main effect for group, or for time was found for functional heart failure status, indicated by NYHA class (interaction effect: F(2, 107) = 0.874, P = 0.420; group effect: F(2, 107) = 1.333, P = 0.268; time effect: F(1, 107) = 2.264, P = 0.135), or for levels of the prognostic biomarker NT-proBNP (interaction effect: F(2, 108) = 0.613, P = 0.544; group effect: F(2, 108) = 0.153, P = 0.859; time effect: F(1, 108) = 3.629, P = 0.059). The gene discussed is NPPB; the disease is heart failure.