Abstract
Since their discovery 20 years ago, natriuretic peptides have rapidly moved to the forefront in cardiovascular medicine, and have contributed to an appreciation that the heart is an important endocrine organ. Of the natriuretic peptides, brain (B-type) natriuretic peptide (BNP) has proven to be the most clinically useful. Physicians now measure circulating levels of BNP and the Nterminal fragment of its prohormone (N-proBNP) for diagnostic and prognostic assessment in patients with suspected congestive heart failure (CHF), and administer recombinant human BNP as a therapeutic agent for patients with decompensated CHF. This review will highlight the mechanisms of natriuretic peptide regulation, the physiologic actions of BNP, and its utilization in patients with cardiovascular diseases.
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