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Figure 1 BNP Levels by ACC/AHA Heart Failure Stages

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) rises with age over the course of a lifetime but generally stays under 20 pg/ml in the absence of left ventricular dysfunction or structural heart disease. B-type natriuretic peptide >100 pg/ml is the cutoff for diagnosing congestive heart failure in symptomatic patients. Stage A = risk factors; Stage B = asymptomatic structural heart disease; Stage C = symptomatic heart failure; Stage D = refractory heart failure. ACC = American College of Cardiology; AHA = American Heart Association.