$69.00
Priced per marker, with baseline labs included. You’ll see your total before you pay.
Heart & circulation
BNP test
B-type natriuretic peptide. Released by stressed heart muscle; can be elevated in heart failure and can help differentiate cardiac vs. pulmonary reasons for shortness of breath.
At a glance
In about 5 days
Most results are ready in about 5 days. Some specialty markers can take up to 21 days.
Check before your draw
This marker has no preparation tag, but it can still need preparation. Contact us before your draw if you’re not sure.
Walk in at Quest
Your lab order arrives by email. Most Quest locations take walk-ins, so bring it with a photo ID.
What it measures
Your heart can release BNP when it’s working too hard or stretched by extra fluid. Higher levels can be a sign of heart failure, when the heart doesn’t pump as well as it should.
Why it matters for women
Swelling and breathlessness are common in late pregnancy, which can hide a rare heart weakness that starts late in pregnancy or in the months after birth. BNP can help tell these apart. Levels can also rise with age and can run a little higher in women, so results are read with that in mind.
You might check it if…
- you get short of breath doing everyday things
- your ankles, feet, or legs often swell
- you’re short of breath late in pregnancy or after birth
- you wake up at night short of breath
What your result may mean
High BNP: what it may mean
High BNP may mean your heart muscle is stretched or under strain, as can happen with heart failure, fluid overload or a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism). Higher values can track with a more serious outlook. Swelling, breathlessness and tiredness can occur, and in late pregnancy or after birth they may point to peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare heart weakness. Levels can also rise with age, kidney disease and atrial fibrillation, and they can run a bit higher in women.
Low BNP: what it may mean
Low BNP may make heart failure less of a concern when someone is short of breath, though it can't rule out every heart problem. Carrying extra weight can lower BNP, so a result may read low even with some heart strain. Breathlessness can have other reasons too, including anemia, asthma or the normal changes of late pregnancy. If symptoms continue, a clinician may order an ECG or a heart ultrasound (echocardiogram).
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These notes provide context and do not diagnose a condition. Not yet available in NY, NJ, RI, HI, ND, SD or WV.