BNP (B-type Natriuretic Peptide)
Overview
BNP is a hormone secreted primarily by cardiac ventricular myocytes in response to myocardial stretch and wall stress. It promotes natriuresis, diuresis, and vasodilation to reduce cardiac preload and afterload. Elevated levels indicate heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, or pulmonary embolism, while low levels suggest non-cardiac dyspnea. It is clinically useful for diagnosing and ruling out acute heart failure in emergency settings with high negative predictive value.rupahealth+1
Clinical Use Cases
- Diagnosing acute decompensated heart failure in dyspneic patients.
- Risk stratification in acute coronary syndromes.
- Differentiating cardiac from pulmonary causes of dyspnea.
- Monitoring chronic heart failure therapy response.
Specimen Types
- Plasma (EDTA preferred).
- Serum (less stable).
Measurement Methods
- Immunoassay (sandwich ELISA or chemiluminescent).
- Point-of-care fluorescence immunoassay.
- High-sensitivity (NT-proBNP) variants.
Test Preparation and Influencing Factors
- No special preparation required.
- Obesity, atrial fibrillation lower levels; renal failure elevates.
- Medications (ACE inhibitors, diuretics) may decrease levels.
- Age, female sex associated with higher reference ranges.
Synonyms
- Brain natriuretic peptide.
- B-type natriuretic peptide.
- NT-proBNP (inactive prohormone).