Natriuretic peptides find a new home in pulmonology.

摘要

Diagnosing the early signs of heart failure, although seemingly clear cut, still remains elusive in the scenario of acute decompensation at the level of the primary care physician. This is especially true in those patients with coexisting respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who present with dyspnea, 'cardiac asthma', or have a long history of smoking [1, 2]. A vicious cycle of respiratory and right and left cardiac disease states influencing each other exists, where dyspnea is the common presenting symptom. A rapid screening method to stratify and differentiate dyspnea of cardiac origin from that of a pulmonary origin is imperative for both the patient and the physician [3].