Using Cardiac Biomarkers in Veterinary Practice

• Published in: Clinics in laboratory medicine Vol. 35; no. 3; pp. 555 - 566
• Main Author: Oyama, Mark A., DVM
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-09-2015
• Subjects: Animals; Biomarkers - blood; Blood Chemical Analysis - trends; Blood Chemical Analysis - veterinary; BNP; Cardiac biomarkers; Cats; Diagnosis, Differential; Dogs; Heart disease; Heart Diseases - blood; Heart Diseases - diagnosis; Heart Diseases - physiopathology; Heart Diseases - veterinary; Heart Function Tests - trends; Heart Function Tests - veterinary; Natriuretic peptide; Pathology; Troponin; Troponin; BNP; Cardiac biomarkers; Natriuretic peptide; Heart disease
• ISSN: 0272-2712; 1557-9832
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cll.2015.05.005

Blood-based assays for various cardiac biomarkers can assist in the diagnosis of heart disease in dogs and cats. The two most common markers are cardiac troponin-I and N-terminal pro-B–type natriuretic peptide. Biomarker assays can assist in differentiating cardiac from noncardiac causes of respiratory signs and detection of preclinical cardiomyopathy. Increasingly, studies indicate that cardiac biomarker testing can help assess the risk of morbidity and mortality in animals with heart disease. Usage of cardiac biomarker testing in clinical practice relies on proper patient selection, correct interpretation of test results, and incorporation of biomarker testing into existing diagnostic methods.