Abstract
The cardiac natriuretic peptides. ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) and BNP (brian natriuretic peptide), are secreted by the heart in proportion to cardiac transmural pressure. Recent evidence has highlighted the usefulness of BNP and its N-terminal fragment (NT-BNP) as both a diagnostic and prognostic tool in cardiovascular health. In the acute and outpatient setting, BNP and NT-BNP have been shown to be an effective "rule out" test for suspected heart failure cases. The clinical use of BNP also extends to its prognostic utility in patients with heart failure and coronary artery disease. Serial measurements of these peptides have been an effective guide to optimisation of treatment in heart failure patients. The favourable biological properties of the natriuretic peptides have also led to their use as therapeutic agents, although larger scale clinical trials are still in the process of validating this exciting prospect. In this manuscript, we aim to present the latest evidence with regard to the diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic use of BNP and NT-BNP in cardiovascular disease.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 18-28 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Singapore General Hospital Proceedings |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2006 |
Keywords
- BNP
- Coronary artery disease
- Diagnosis
- Heart failure
- Prognosis
- Treatment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine
