What is the recommendation regarding the use of natriuretic peptide biomarkers during a HF hospitalization?
Current recommendation emphasizes that it is admission levels of natriuretic peptide biomarkers that are useful. Higher levels of natriuretic peptide biomarkers on admission are usually associated with greater risk for clinical outcomes, including all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, morbidity, and composite outcomes, across different time intervals in patients with decompensated HF. During a HF hospitalization, a predischarge natriuretic peptide level can be useful to establish a postdischarge prognosis. However, assays of natriuretic peptide biomarkers for incremental prognostication should not preclude good clinical judgment; an individualized approach to each patient is paramount.