Description
The SNAP Feline proBNP Test is a diagnostic tool for assessing the presence of increased stretch and stress on the myocardium and provides another objective measure for evaluating heart health.
- BOX SIZE: 5 Tests
- What is BNP and NTproBNP: B-type or brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a neuroendocrine hormone that is produced as a prohormone (proBNP) in atrial myocytes. Normal, physiologic stretch of the atria causes the proBNP peptide to be cleaved and released as two smaller peptides; an inactive N-terminal peptide (NTproBNP) and a biologically active C-terminal peptide (C-BNP). With the development of cardiac disease, the hormone is also produced and released by ventricular myocytes in an amount that is proportional to the severity of the disease. The physiologic properties of C-BNP are to counteract the stretch that triggered its release from the myocardium. The hormone acts on receptors in blood vessels and the kidney to induce vasodilation and diuresis. Both the Cardiopet proBNP Test and the SNAP Feline proBNP Test measure the concentration of NTproBNP in circulation, which is a surrogate marker for increases in atrial and ventricular size as well as wall stress. In general, the NTproBNP is released in proportion to the degree of stretch and stress on the myocardium, and concentrations increase with increasing severity of cardiac disease.
- Heart Disease in Cats: Cardiomyopathies are the most common cardiac diseases in cats, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most commonly diagnosed form of the disease. HCM is typically recognized in young to middle-aged male cats, but any cat can be affected. Certain breeds of cats, such as the Bengal, Himalayan, Persian and Maine coon, are at increased risk of the disease. HCM is characterized by concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle and associated diastolic dysfunction (impaired ventricular relaxation). As the disease progresses, enlargement of the left atrium (LA) leads to an increased LA pressure and risk of developing congestive heart failure. Cats with an enlarged LA are also at increased risk of developing thromboembolic disease (saddle thrombus).
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