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B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is secreted from the ventricles of the heart when volume and pressure increase. San Diego researchers measured BNP levels in 250 patients (94 percent were men) who presented with dyspnea to urgent care or emergency services at a Veterans Affairs hospital; the utility of serum BNP levels in distinguishing congestive heart failure (CHF) from other causes of dyspnea was evaluated.
Chart review by 2 cardiologists served as the gold standard for the diagnosis of heart failure. Mean BNP levels were higher in patients with CHF than in patients without CHF (1076 vs. 38 pg/mL). At a BNP cutoff level of 80 pg/mL, the test's sensitivity was 98 percent, its specificity was 92 percent, its positive predictive value was 90…