Natriuretic peptides: Physiology for the clinician

Abstract

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are a family of hormones that have significant cardiorenal properties. As an important component of blood pressure homeostasis in humans, NPs are potent vasodilatory hormones that mediate diuresis, natriuresis and cardiac remodeling (Levin et al., N Engl J Med 339(5):321-328, 1998). Neurohormonal signaling plays an essential role in cardiovascular disease. Whereas antagonism of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway, a mediator of provascocontriction, leads to improved outcomes in heart failure, the potentiation of the NPs leads to vasodilation and improved cardiac remodeling. Therefore, NPs have been investigated both as a biomarker for cardiovascular disease as well as a potential treatment agent.