B-type natriuretic peptide: a new tool in the armamentarium used to accurately diagnose heart failure.

Nearly 5 million Americans have heart failure (HF). Making a correct diagnosis early is an important component in the multifaceted approach to detection and/or treatment of this disease. The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved a point-of-care B-type natriuretic peptide assay to be used in the diagnosis of HF. Nesiritide, a synthetic B-type natriuretic peptide, was also approved for use in decompensated HF. B-type natriuretic peptide is released from the cardiac ventricles in response to increased left ventricular volume and/or pressure. This article reviews the nature of this peptide and its potential as a screening tool for HF. It will also present evidence defining the role of B-type natriuretic peptide in the differential diagnosis of dyspnea, prognosis after cardiac events, and in monitoring HF drug therapy.