BNP In Heart Failure

BNP is a hormone secreted by cardiac cells in response to increased pressure within the heart.  BNP helps to regulate the body's salt and fluid content, and reduces blood pressure.  In patients who have heart failure, BNP levels tend to become greatly elevated during episodes of worsening shortness of breath. Measuring BNP levels in the blood can help doctors to determine whether a patient's shortness of breath is due to heart failure, or to some other cause. Read about BNP, and how BNP can be helpful in optimizing the treatment of heart failure.
Source: About.com Heart Disease - Category: Cardiology Source Type: blogs