BNP and NT-proBNP blood tests

Blood tests that measure proteins the heart makes in larger amounts when it has to work harder. MedlinePlus says they are mainly used to help confirm or rule out heart failure in people who have symptoms. A normal result usually means heart failure is unlikely, and a higher result means the person could have it and that other tests will probably follow. Other conditions, such as kidney failure, can raise the levels, and obesity can lower them.

Also called Natriuretic peptide tests · BNP test · NT-proBNP test

Biomarker
In this atlas

Overview

Technical summary

Two related measures: brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The MedlinePlus test page gives no cut-off values, so none are stated here. NHLBI's diagnosis page also names BNP among blood tests that a provider may order. In STRONG-HF, NT-proBNP concentrations were used to monitor patients during rapid up-titration (see the idea page). The MeSH heading Natriuretic Peptide, Brain (D020097) is a broad match.

What is measured

Measure: Blood concentration of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)
Assay context: A blood sample from a vein in the arm, or a fingerstick in hospital; no special preparation (MedlinePlus)

Interpretation

Description Evidence stage unknown Certainty not assessed

MedlinePlus says that natriuretic peptide tests (BNP and NT-proBNP) measure proteins the heart and blood vessels make, and are mainly used to help confirm or rule out heart failure in people who have symptoms. It says normal results usually mean a person is unlikely to have heart failure, that higher than normal levels mean a person could have heart failure, and that the provider will probably order other heart health tests to make a final diagnosis. It adds that a result alone cannot diagnose the cause of symptoms, that other conditions such as kidney failure can also raise levels, and that obesity can make levels lower than they really are.
Applies to Recipient not specified
- People who have symptoms that could mean heart failure, such as shortness of breath, swelling in the abdomen, feet, legs or neck veins, fatigue or weakness, coughing, inability to sleep lying flat, a need to urinate a lot at night, or loss of appetite and nausea. The page also describes uses in people already diagnosed with heart failure and, in certain cases, in people who have had a heart attack or have unstable angina.
- Outpatient or hospital blood test (venous blood; a fingerstick may be used in hospital).
- Not stated. MedlinePlus is a US government site but the page does not name a country.
- Not stated. The page does not restrict the test by age, and says that what a level means depends on age and sex.
- Gestational age Not reported
- Postnatal age Not reported
Follow-up Not applicable (a description of a test).
Certainty method
Not assessed

Limitations
General patient information from a government health page, not a diagnostic rule. The page gives no cut-off values, no sensitivity or specificity, and no study data, and says that what a result means depends on age, sex and other test results. This claim is descriptive and not a finding from a trial.

Last checked
2026-10-14

Next evidence check due
Not scheduled
Sources and citations (4)
1. Supports MedlinePlus medical test: Natriuretic Peptide Tests (BNP, NT-proBNP)
  
  Webpage · MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine · Edition MedlinePlus medical test page fetched 2026-10-14.
  
  Locator
  MedlinePlus Medical Test page, What are they used for
  
  How it applies
  The main use: to help confirm or rule out heart failure in people with symptoms.
  
  Retrieved
  2026-10-14T18:20:45Z
  
  Source effective date
  Not reported
  
  Source state
  Current
  
  Snapshot hash
  addf6c4bf5e91dec643a4922f818b4d64a68194ed46e1762d747f3d93ee2224a
  
  Reuse basis
  The MedlinePlus using-content page (fetched as ce-medlineplus-using-content.html, sha256 31267ce9db016893b80c5665312d92ffc8c34ec86916f84708c353936ba52228, hash only) says works produced by the federal government are not copyrighted, and lists summaries on health topic pages and medical test information as public domain. It also says images and some other content are copyrighted. The page HTML is committed at research/snapshots/ce-medlineplus-bnp.html; only the public-domain text is quoted.
2. Supports MedlinePlus medical test: Natriuretic Peptide Tests (BNP, NT-proBNP)
  
  Webpage · MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine · Edition MedlinePlus medical test page fetched 2026-10-14.
  
  Locator
  MedlinePlus Medical Test page, What do the results mean
  
  How it applies
  How normal and higher-than-normal results are read.
  
  Retrieved
  2026-10-14T18:20:45Z
  
  Source effective date
  Not reported
  
  Source state
  Current
  
  Snapshot hash
  addf6c4bf5e91dec643a4922f818b4d64a68194ed46e1762d747f3d93ee2224a
  
  Reuse basis
  The MedlinePlus using-content page (fetched as ce-medlineplus-using-content.html, sha256 31267ce9db016893b80c5665312d92ffc8c34ec86916f84708c353936ba52228, hash only) says works produced by the federal government are not copyrighted, and lists summaries on health topic pages and medical test information as public domain. It also says images and some other content are copyrighted. The page HTML is committed at research/snapshots/ce-medlineplus-bnp.html; only the public-domain text is quoted.
3. Supports MedlinePlus medical test: Natriuretic Peptide Tests (BNP, NT-proBNP)
  
  Webpage · MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine · Edition MedlinePlus medical test page fetched 2026-10-14.
  
  Locator
  MedlinePlus Medical Test page, What do the results mean, other causes
  
  How it applies
  Other conditions that raise levels, and obesity that lowers them.
  
  Retrieved
  2026-10-14T18:20:45Z
  
  Source effective date
  Not reported
  
  Source state
  Current
  
  Snapshot hash
  addf6c4bf5e91dec643a4922f818b4d64a68194ed46e1762d747f3d93ee2224a
  
  Reuse basis
  The MedlinePlus using-content page (fetched as ce-medlineplus-using-content.html, sha256 31267ce9db016893b80c5665312d92ffc8c34ec86916f84708c353936ba52228, hash only) says works produced by the federal government are not copyrighted, and lists summaries on health topic pages and medical test information as public domain. It also says images and some other content are copyrighted. The page HTML is committed at research/snapshots/ce-medlineplus-bnp.html; only the public-domain text is quoted.
4. Background MedlinePlus medical test: Natriuretic Peptide Tests (BNP, NT-proBNP)
  
  Webpage · MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine · Edition MedlinePlus medical test page fetched 2026-10-14.
  
  Locator
  MedlinePlus Medical Test page, What are natriuretic peptide tests, paragraph 3
  
  How it applies
  Where BNP comes from: the heart releases it when it works harder than normal.
  
  Retrieved
  2026-10-14T18:20:45Z
  
  Source effective date
  Not reported
  
  Source state
  Current
  
  Snapshot hash
  addf6c4bf5e91dec643a4922f818b4d64a68194ed46e1762d747f3d93ee2224a
  
  Reuse basis
  The MedlinePlus using-content page (fetched as ce-medlineplus-using-content.html, sha256 31267ce9db016893b80c5665312d92ffc8c34ec86916f84708c353936ba52228, hash only) says works produced by the federal government are not copyrighted, and lists summaries on health topic pages and medical test information as public domain. It also says images and some other content are copyrighted. The page HTML is committed at research/snapshots/ce-medlineplus-bnp.html; only the public-domain text is quoted.

Clinical links

Each link reports what one cited claim says about one population. "Evaluated for" means studied, not shown to work. These links do not show that anything is effective or right for you.

Claim, not a settled fact Used to help confirm or rule out heart failure in people with symptoms (MedlinePlus): Heart failure (Evaluated for)
Applies to Recipient not specified
- People who have symptoms that could mean heart failure, such as shortness of breath, swelling in the abdomen, feet, legs or neck veins, fatigue or weakness, coughing, inability to sleep lying flat, a need to urinate a lot at night, or loss of appetite and nausea. The page also describes uses in people already diagnosed with heart failure and, in certain cases, in people who have had a heart attack or have unstable angina.
- Outpatient or hospital blood test (venous blood; a fingerstick may be used in hospital).
- Not stated. MedlinePlus is a US government site but the page does not name a country.
- Not stated. The page does not restrict the test by age, and says that what a level means depends on age and sex.
- Gestational age Not reported
- Postnatal age Not reported
Follow-up Not applicable (a description of a test).
MedlinePlus says that natriuretic peptide tests (BNP and NT-proBNP) measure proteins the heart and blood vessels make, and are mainly used to help confirm or rule out heart failure in people who have symptoms. It says normal results usually mean a person is unlikely to have heart failure, that higher than normal levels mean a person could have heart failure, and that the provider will probably order other heart health tests to make a final diagnosis. It adds that a result alone cannot diagnose the cause of symptoms, that other conditions such as kidney failure can also raise levels, and that obesity can make levels lower than they really are.
Limitations. General patient information from a government health page, not a diagnostic rule. The page gives no cut-off values, no sensitivity or specificity, and no study data, and says that what a result means depends on age, sex and other test results. This claim is descriptive and not a finding from a trial.

Record details

Record id: cardio:natriuretic-peptides
Content hash: 09d4782c240e1fa117b48e72e17fbc5209d70dc71106076fe4f25c8b35fb57ff