BNP for Heart Failure Treatment? Yes!

     While reviewing for the exam doing case studies, the book I was reviewing pointed out a new therapy about BNP not only being used as a marker for heart failure, but also as therapy.

While BNP is elevated in acute exacerbations of heart failure, it is also available for IV administration and is marketed as nesiritide (Melander, 2004). Nesiritide is a recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide, BNP 1-32, and is a vasodilator that has undergone clinical trials in patients with acute heart failure (Colucci, 2015). The high level of vasoconstrictors and high systemic vascular resistance and possibly low levels of bioactive BNP in patients with heart failure provides the rationale for therapy with vasodilators, such as nesiritide (Colucci, 2015). Nesiritide has been proven to reduce preload and afterload, and increase cardiac output in people who are experiencing an acute exacerbation of heart failure (Melander, 2004). Also, when compared to it has been proven to improve hemodynamics more quickly than nitroglycerin (Melander, 2004).

            I think further studies should be done on this drug and there should be greater awareness in hospitals about this treatment. The window for treating patients when they are in an acute exacerbation of heart failure should be narrowed so that the damage that is done can be minimized. Since BNP is already produced by the heart as a peptide secreted by the ventricle in response to fluid overload, investigating further in the advantages of using a naturally occurring peptide for treatment should be looked into!

 

References

Colucci, W.S. (2015). Nesiritide in the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure. UptoDate. Retrieved from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/nesiritide-in-the-treatment-of-acute-decompensated-heart-failure

 

Melander, S.D. (2004). Case studies in critical care nursing. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Elsevier.