1745. Package # 241 (Heart failure. Diagnosis)

Heart failure, a progressive disease with a mortality rate higher than most cancers, is a major burden on health systems. Most patients with HF end up in the emergency room or hospital, usually because of congestion-related symptoms (20 June 2019).

The main symptoms of heart failure are: shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, swelling of the legs, bones or abdomen, fatigue. Usually, the complaints of patients with HF are nonspecific, and therefore do not help to differentiate between HF and other conditions. Complaints and objective signs due to fluid retention quickly disappear during diuretic therapy. Objective signs such as increased jugular venous pressure and displacement of the apex beat are more specific but more difficult to detect and less reproducible. Therefore, the assessment of the level of NT-proBNP is useful in the complex of diagnostic studies for the early diagnosis of heart failure. The heart normally produces small amounts of degradable proBNP protein, producing an active hormone, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and an inactive fragment, N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). BNP produces a spectrum of diuretic, natriuretic, and hypotensive effects.

The main stimulus for the secretion of natriuretic peptides is an increase in myocardial tension with an increase in pressure in the left ventricle of the heart. Displays the contractile function of the heart, so it can be used to diagnose heart failure.

• Differential diagnosis between heart and lung diseases
• Diagnosis of heart failure in the early preclinical stages
• Assessing the severity of heart failure
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of the therapy

• Venous blood

In order to exclude factors that may affect the test results, we recommend to follow the preparation rules: