Natriuretic peptides and heart failure in the patient with chronic kidney disease: a review of current evidence

Natriuretic peptides such as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) are commonly used in the diagnosis and evaluation of heart failure. However, their utility in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is less clear as renal dysfunction itself can be associated with elevated concentrations of these biomarkers. Given the high prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy and left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with CKD, diagnosis or exclusion of heart failure becomes important in this population. Most studies to date indicate that upward adjustment of diagnostic cut points preserves the usefulness of both BNP and NT-proBNP in the CKD patient, with similar clinical performance of each biomarker. We review the role of natriuretic peptide in heart failure in the setting of chronic renal disease.