Cardiac Biomarkers for Congestive Heart Failure

There are two new cardiac biomarkers that can be used to identify those patients who have cardiac heart failure that is difficult to diagnose by other means. The two biomarkers are called brain natriuretic peptide or BNP and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide or proBNP. Either test can be performed to screen for Congestive Heart Failure and the amount of these peptides can tell whether or not the Congestive Heart Failure is severe or not.

It is a test that can be used if a person has swollen legs, problems breathing, shortness of breath and tiredness typical of Congestive Heart Failure but don’t have clear-cut evidence of Congestive Heart Failure using x-ray alone. It is a test that can be done along with an echocardiogram or chest x-ray in order to identify those with Congestive Heart Failure to a mild, moderate or severe degree.

Congestive Heart Failure can be a mimicker of other types of diseases, including lung disease and other types of heart disease. Using the BNP or proBNP study can identify those people who clearly have some aspect of Congestive Heart Failure and who need medications to counteract the disease.

The BNP or proBNP test can be done in the doctor’s office and is a regular blood test. It can be used to screen for Congestive Heart Failure in those with mild symptoms of the disease. It can also be used in the emergency room for fast diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure so that treatment can be started, even in the presence of other diseases. Finally, it can be used to help doctors monitor the treatment of Congestive Heart Failure as the levels of brain natriuretic hormone and pro brain natriuretic hormone can go down when the Congestive Heart Failure is better monitored.

A high test value is a good measure of heart failure and the level of these peptides are good measures of the degree of Congestive Heart Failure present within the person. If the BNP or proBNP rises, it is a harbinger of worse disease that could lead to the death of the patient and is a sign that the condition needs to be managed more aggressively.

Those who take medications and other therapy for Congestive Heart Failure should show a reduction in the BNP and in the NT-proBNP. Some of these medications include ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, diuretic therapy and other medications that reduce the blood pressure. If a person has kidney disease, the levels of BNP and proBNP are also increased, which can interfere with the diagnosis of heart failure. These peptides are normally specifically related to left ventricular function and either the BNP or the pro-BNP can be used to diagnose the disease of Congestive Heart Failure even though the two tests are not read as interchangeable.