Natriuretic Peptides and their Role in Clinical Practice in Cardiovascular Disease

Volume 1, Jul 2012

Punam Chowdhury, MD, Rajiv Choudhary, MD, MPH, Vikas Bhalla, MD, MSCR, Alan Maisel, MD; San Diego, CA, USA; Atlanta,GA, USA

Natriuretic peptides (NP) have been the center of particular focus and discussion in the last several years. Their impact in cardiovascular and non cardiovascular medicine is persistently growing as we slowly begin to understand that their value may be beyond what we ever imagined. The discovery and isolation of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a polypeptide hormone, secreted by the heart is credited to de Bold in 1979, although the secretory granules were first recognized in 1956 (1, 2). Natriuretic polypeptides hormones (NP) circulate and are stored in several forms namely ANP, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). More recently, the fourth discovered NP was dendroapsis naturetic peptide, a D-type NP found in the green mamba that remains of unknown significance in humans. There has been extensive research on the role of NPs in cardiovascular disease state, and more specifically BNP and pro-BNP have become the center of attention to guide medical care in patients with conges tive heart failure (CHF), coronary artery disease, and valvular heart disease (3). 

Volume 1, Number 3, Pages: 108-17