A rapid blood test can help doctors determine whether someone who comes to the emergency department with shortness of breath has congestive heart failure or not. The test measures the level of a protein called B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), which is produced by the heart as it fails.

``The most important potential benefit of this test for people who may have heart failure is it will help their doctors recognize it right away, and that's critical to successful management of the condition,'' Dr. Alan S. Maisel told Reuters Health.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and pumps inefficiently and can lead to fluid accumulation in the limbs and lungs. Patients may feel fatigue, breathlessness and may eventually require a heart transplant if their condition is particularly severe.

People with heart failure often come to the emergency department with shortness of breath. Trying to determine whether shortness of breath is due to heart failure can be quite difficult, since examining someone and looking at standard laboratory tests may not be exact enough. A test called echocardiography can diagnose the condition, but the test is expensive and not all emergency departments have access to it.

In a study, Maisel and colleagues measured BNP in 250 men who arrived at a Veteran's Affairs hospital with shortness of breath. The investigators found that in the 97 men who did have heart failure, BNP was elevated. They conclude that the BNP test could pick up 95% of heart failure cases, according to the report in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

``We expect the test for B-type natriuretic peptide to cost about $25, and it is available right now,'' Maisel said. ``The test is easy to perform using standard emergency room equipment.''

Maisel expects that the popularity of the test will grow as more emergency department physicians become aware of it, and he also thinks that heart specialists will start using it. That's because levels of BNP fall as heart failure improves, so it allows doctors to monitor the success of treatments.

``B-type natriuretic peptide levels rise when and fall just as white blood cell counts do during an infection,'' Maisel explained. ``Keeping on eye on the level helps us assess someone's condition.''

(From ChinaDaily)