Serum biomarkers for heart failure

The incidence of heart failure has been steadily increasing over the past several decades. High readmission rates in patients with acute decompensated heart failure led to the search for biomarkers that could predict future clinical course and would, in an ideal case, enable monitoring of patients with heart failure and guidance of their therapy. From among several promising markers, the B-type natriuretic peptide and the biologically inactive N-terminal portion of its pro-hormone, NT-proBNP, have become the most frequently used analytes. Other known markers, such as atrial natriuretic peptide and endothelin-1, are currently used for research purposes. The development of additional biomarkers will be an important step from improving diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic and acute decompensated heart failure. (C) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.