NPPB and hydrops fetalis: Similarly, Cannone et al. in 971 patients with cardiovascular risk factors but without symptomatic HF from the St Vincent’s Screening to Prevent Heart Failure (STOP-HF) follow-up study, found that the c.-381C NPPB allele was associated with higher circulating levels of BNP and a favorable clinical phenotype and outcome, characterized by a lower risk of hypertension, new-onset left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and major adverse cardiovascular events [31].