Can brain natriuretic peptide be used to diagnose and manage patients with diastolic heart failure?

摘要

Numerous studies have established that plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) can predict morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure (HF), hence the growing use of BNP level testing in clinical diagnosis; however, studies have also found heterogeneity in BNP levels. It is, therefore, necessary to establish what stimulates BNP release in patients with HF in the clinical setting. OBJECTIVE To determine what triggers BNP secretion in HF patients with a range of etiologies, including systolic and diastolic HF.