Natriuretic peptide testing, particularly BNP and NT-proBNP, is highly useful for establishing or excluding the diagnosis of heart failure in patients presenting with acute dyspnea.
The natriuretic peptides are a family of related hormones that play a crucial role in cardiovascular homeostasis. They have recently emerged as potentially important clinical markers in heart failure. Recent data have suggested an important role for these markers in establishing the diagnosis of heart failure in patients with unexplained dyspnea in both acute care and ambulatory settings. Other clinical uses of the natriuretic peptides, such as screening for asymptomatic ventricular dysfunction, establishing prognosis or guiding titration of drug therapy, are under investigation but have not yet sufficiently been validated for widespread clinical use.
G. Michael Felker (Mon,) conducted a review in Heart failure. Natriuretic peptide testing (BNP and NT-proBNP) was evaluated. Natriuretic peptide testing, particularly BNP and NT-proBNP, is highly useful for establishing or excluding the diagnosis of heart failure in patients presenting with acute dyspnea.