PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Januzzi, James L.
TI  - Natriuretic peptide testing: A window into the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure
DP  - 2006 Feb 01
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - 149--157
VI  - 73
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/73/2/149.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/73/2/149.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med2006 Feb 01; 73
AB  - B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) levels can indicate a variety of heart problems, as well as general critical illness. BNP and NTproBNP assays are useful for evaluating patients with acute dyspnea, as a low level of natriuretic peptide can help rule out congestive heart failure (CHF) and reduce reliance on echocardiography. Conversely, these assays can be particularly useful in recognizing CHF in a patient with acute dyspnea and a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, clinical judgment must always be part of the evaluation of BNP or NT-proBNP assay results.