DIFFERENTIATION OF CAUSES OF RIGHT HEART FAILURE

摘要

The present invention relates to the field of diagnostic means and methods. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of differentiating between pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension as the cause of right heart failure in a subject comprising determining the amounts of a natriuretic peptide, a cardiac troponin, GDF-15 and endoglin in a sample of a subject suffering from right heart failure and comparing the amounts with reference amounts, whereby it is differentiated between pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension as the cause of the right heart failure. Furthermore, the present invention relates to methods of determining whether a subject suffering from right heart failure is susceptible to a therapy for pulmonary hypertension or pulmonary embolism as well as to a diagnostic device and a diagnostic kit adapted for carrying out the method of the present invention.