Abstract
The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 662 consecutive patients with chronic systolic heart failure seen at their clinic to determine the prevalence of patients with plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels less than 100 pg/mL. They demonstrated that in as many as 21% of patients with symptomatic heart failure, plasma BNP levels were below those considered to be diagnostic (< 100 pg/mL). It is prudent, therefore, to recognize that the utility of BNP is specific to the clinical context and to the patient population being tested.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 41-43 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Cardiology Review |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 12 |
State | Published - Nov 1 2004 |