B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) belongs to a family of protein hormones called natriuretic peptides.
These natriuretic peptides have an important role in regulating the circulation. They act on blood vessels, causing them to dilate, or widen. They also work on the kidneys, causing them to excrete more salt and water. In addition, the natriuretic peptides reduce the production of various hormones that narrow blood vessels, boost the heart rate, or affect fluid retention; examples include adrenaline, angiotensin, and aldosterone.
The net effect of natriuretic peptides is to promote urine excretion, relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and reduce the heart's workload. They are part of the body's natural defense mechanisms designed to protect the heart from stress. And they surge into action when they are needed most, when the heart itself is under siege.
------------------------
In general, results of less than 100 picograms/milliliter (pg/mL) are a sign a person does not have heart failure.
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your health care provider about the meaning of your specific test results.
------------------------
A B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) test or aminoterminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) test gives your provider essential information about your heart health. It helps them diagnose heart failure, so they can develop a treatment plan. It also helps them monitor how well treatments are working. Talk to your provider if you have any questions about the test results.
Understand and improve your laboratory results with our health dashboard.
Upload your lab reports and get your interpretation today.
Our technology helps to understand, combine, track, organize, and act on your medical lab test results.
Higher-than-normal levels of BNP in your blood can be a sign that your heart isn’t working as it should. It can mean that your heart isn’t pumping enough blood through your body. Since BNP is cleared by your kidneys, it may also mean that your kidneys are not functioning properly.
Symptoms of heart failure include:
- Cough that seems dry or “hacking” and gets worse when laying down.
- Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath (dyspnea) or wheezing.
- Delirium (confusion).
- Dizziness or fainting (syncope).
- Fatigue or feeling sluggish.
- Heart palpitations.
- Nausea and vomiting or loss of appetite.
- Swelling (edema) in your abdomen, legs, ankles and feet.
- Urinating (peeing) more than usual at night (nocturia).
Heart failure means your heart isn’t pumping blood as it should. It doesn’t mean that your heart has failed or stopped working entirely. If your provider has already diagnosed you with heart failure, they may order a BNP or NT-proBNP test to monitor how treatments are working.
Get emergency medical help if you have these symptoms. Heart failure is life-threatening and requires immediate treatment.
BNP levels go up when the heart cannot pump the way it should.
A result greater than 100 pg/mL is abnormal. The higher the number, the more likely heart failure is present and the more severe it is.
Sometimes other conditions can cause high BNP levels. These include:
- Kidney failure
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Severe infection (sepsis)
- Lung problems
Interpret Your Lab Results
Upload your lab report, and we'll interpret and provide you with recommendations today.
Get StartedOur specialized data entry service is designed to seamlessly integrate your laboratory results into your private dashboard. Just send in your lab test results—whether it's an image or a file—and our skilled data entry team will handle the rest. We accommodate various file formats like PDFs, JPGs, and Excel.
The first report is complimentary. After that, the data entry service is priced at $15 per report, unless it's part of your subscribed plan. It's an ideal solution whether you have numerous reports to upload or if your schedule doesn't permit self-data entry.
We strive to make the data entry process easy for you. Whether by offering dozens of templates to choose from that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels or by giving you instant feedback on the entered values. Our data entry forms are an easy, fast, and convenient way to enter the reports yourself. There is no limit on how many lab reports you can upload.
Personal plans
track personal results
Professional Plan
track multiple client's results
$15/month
$250/once
own it for life
$45/month
for health professionals
Personal Account
$15/month
for personal lab results
$250/once
own it for life
Level up your lab report analysis with our Pro plan, built for health practitioners like you.
Health Business Account
$45/month
Unlock additional Pro plans when you sign up.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
ACE, Serum, Acetone, Blood, Activated Protein C Resistance, Aluminum, Plasma/Serum, Ammonia, Plasma, ANA by IFA Rfx Titer/Pattern, ANA Direct, ANA Pattern, Androstenedione LCMS, Anti GAD 65 Antibodies, Anti-DNase B Strep Antibodies, Anti-histone Abs, Anti-intermyofibrillar, Anti-sarcolemma, Antiadrenal Antibodies, Quant, Antinuclear Antibodies, IFA, Antistreptolysin O Ab, Aspergillus Ag, BAL/Serum, B-Type Natriuretic Peptide, Babesia duncani WA1 IgG IFA, C difficile Toxins A+B, EIA, Carbon Monoxide, Blood, Cold Agglutinin Titer, Quant, Copper, RBC, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), Ethanol, Blood, F078-IgG Casein, F079-IgG Gluten, F2-Isoprostane/Creatinine, Fats, Neutral, Fats, Total, Folate, Hemolysate, Folate, RBC, G-6-PD, Quant, G6PD, Galectin-3, Hexagonal Phospholipid Neutral, Histamine Determination, Blood, Immune Complexes, C1q Binding, Interleukin-8, Serum, Isopropanol, Blood, K080-IgE Formaldehyde, Lactic Acid, Plasma, M-Spike, Manganese, Plasma, Manganese, RBC, Melanocyte-stimulating Hormone (MSH), Methanol, Blood, Mono Qual W/Rflx Qn, Neopterin, Serum, NT-proBNP, Platelet Neutralization, Propeptide Type I Collagen, Protein C-Functional, Protein S, Activity, RNP Antibodies, Rubella Antibodies, IgG, Serotonin, Serum, Sirolimus (Rapamune), Blood, Strongyloides IgG Antibody, Testost., F+W Bound, Thyroxine Binding Globulin, Toxoplasma gondii Ab, IgG, Treponema pallidum Antibodies, Valproic Acid (Depakote), Serum, Varicella Zoster IgG, Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP), Plasma, Zinc Protoporphyrin (ZPP), ZnT8 Antibodies