Role of B-type Natriuretic Peptide in Diagnosis and Follow-up of Diastolic Heart Failure

69 consecutive patients (mean age 68±12 years, 31 men, 38 women) presenting to the emergency room with suspected dyspnea of cardiac origin, and an additional cohort of 42 consecutive patients diagnosed with diastolic heart failure (DHF) for follow-up.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) assay and tissue Doppler echocardiography (E/E') monitoring over 1 year of pharmacologic treatment

Patients with systolic heart failure (n=37) and patients without heart failure (control group, n=13)

Diagnostic accuracy of BNP for diastolic heart failure and changes in BNP levels versus E/E' in relation to functional status after 1 year of treatmentsurrogate