Test Overview
A brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) test measures the
amount of the BNP
in your blood. BNP is made by your heart and
shows how well your heart is working. Normally, only a low amount of BNP is
found in your blood. But if your heart has to work harder than usual over a
long period of time, such as from
, the heart releases more BNP, increasing
the blood level of BNP. The BNP level may drop when treatment for heart failure
is working.