Natriuretic peptide measurement as a screening test for overt and subclinical heart failure

The prevalence of heart failure will increase in a number of industrialized countries as the proportion of elderly within the population increases. Despite recent advances in medical and surgical intervention, the prognosis for this disorder has not improved significantly. To make a major impact on the prognosis for heart failure, it would be important to be able to recognize various forms of heart disease before severe heart failure has developed. Chest X-radiography, ECG and echocardiography may not be adequate screening tools for heart failure in large populations. Natriuretic peptides are secreted from the heart in response to various cardiac abnormalities including ventricular dysfunction, volume overload, hypertrophy, and myocardial ischemia. Circulating levels of natriuretic peptides are elevated in various forms of structural cardiac disease regardless of etiology and the degree of ventricular systolic dysfunction. Natriuretic peptides, specifically B-type natriuretic peptide, are practically stable and can be measured without an extraction procedure. We have reviewed the recent status of plasma natriuretic peptide measurement for identification of patients with congestive heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, and high risk of heart failure, especially in mass screening settings.