1. Natriuretic peptides: molecular biology, pathophysiology and clinical implications for the cardiologist
- Author
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Eduardo Bossone, Giuseppe Pacileo, Alessandra Rea, Enrica Golia, Rita Gravino, Lucio Santangelo, Raffaele Calabrò, Andrea Buono, Daniele Masarone, Giuseppe Limongelli, Raffaella D’Alessandro, Giuseppe Del Giorno, Ernesto Ammendola, Gemma Salerno, Maria Giovanna Russo, D'Alessandro, R, Masarone, D, Buono, A, Gravino, R, Rea, A, Salerno, G, Golia, E, Ammendola, E, Del Giorno, G, Santangelo, L, Russo, Maria Giovanna, Calabro', Raffaele, Bossone, E, Pacileo, G, Limongelli, Giuseppe, Russo, Mg, Calabrò, R, and Limongelli, G.
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Sympathetic nervous system ,medicine.drug_class ,Volume overload ,Cardiology ,Adrenergic ,Diuresis ,Bioinformatics ,Natriuresis ,Internal medicine ,Natriuretic peptide ,Medicine ,Humans ,Natriuretic Peptides ,Heart Failure ,business.industry ,medicine.disease ,Prognosis ,Pathophysiology ,Endocrinology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Heart failure ,Disease Progression ,Molecular Medicine ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Biomarkers - Abstract
Natriuretic peptides (NPs) counter the effects of volume overload or adrenergic activation of the cardiovascular system. They are able to induce arterial vasodilatations, natriuresis and diuresis, and they reduce the activities of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system and the sympathetic nervous system. However, in addition to wall stress, other factors have been associated with elevated natriuretic peptide levels. Since 2000, because of their characteristics, NPs have become quantitative plasma biomarkers of heart failure. Nowadays, NPs play an important role not only in the diagnosis of heart failure, but also for a prognostic purpose and a guide to medical therapy. Finally, a new drug that modulates the NP system or recombinant analogs of NPs are now available in patients with heart failure.
- Published
- 2013