Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Do These Following Lab Reports Indicate?
Question: Chronic systolic CHF (congestive heart failure) [0000] - Primary possible cause peripartum cardiomyeography. We have done a EKG was good. First initial blood work up good. Had tachycardia prescribed metoprolol to slow it down. Have an EF of 35%. Did a 2nd blood work everything looks good. Exception my BUN being a 4. MRI of heart scheduled for a month from now he wanted to see if improvement from 25mg metoprolol to 50mg a day. What's BUN? How could it be contributing to this problem? Is it to low?
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome back on HCM!
After carefully reviewing your uploaded lab tests I am glad to confirm you that all of them have resulted quite normal.
You don't have anemia (CBC), no electrolytes abnormalities, your blood glucose, liver and renal function tests are perfect.
What is important in your situation, your NT-proBNP is perfectly normal (68 pg/ml): this denotes your heart failure conditions are favorable. So you are not suffering from any decompensation (deterioration) of CHF.
This also implies that your actual therapy (metoprolol) is a compatible treatment to your clinical status.
Regarding BUN, I would explain it stays for Blood Urea Nitrogen, so it measures the amount of urea nitrogen in your blood (which in fact comes from protein brake down by the liver).
As all this metabolic pathway, form ammonia (which contains nitrogen) to urea (the last compound) produced by the liver and excreted by the kidneys may be affected in different ways, BUN is a rationale marker of liver but especially of the kidney function.
When BUN is abnormally elevated, it denotes a decreased and even insufficient renal (kidney) function.
Not rarely, BUN is abnormally increased in CHF patients, because the heart is not sufficiently pumping blood to the kidneys and the blood could not be cleared efficiently from the wasting products (including BUN).
But, this is not you case. Your liver and kidneys functions are perfect. BUN 4 mg/dl is perfectly normal.
So, relax and don't worry about!
I am waiting for you cardiac MRI results, just to have a direct review.
Hope you are having a nice weekend!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome back on HCM!
After carefully reviewing your uploaded lab tests I am glad to confirm you that all of them have resulted quite normal.
You don't have anemia (CBC), no electrolytes abnormalities, your blood glucose, liver and renal function tests are perfect.
What is important in your situation, your NT-proBNP is perfectly normal (68 pg/ml): this denotes your heart failure conditions are favorable. So you are not suffering from any decompensation (deterioration) of CHF.
This also implies that your actual therapy (metoprolol) is a compatible treatment to your clinical status.
Regarding BUN, I would explain it stays for Blood Urea Nitrogen, so it measures the amount of urea nitrogen in your blood (which in fact comes from protein brake down by the liver).
As all this metabolic pathway, form ammonia (which contains nitrogen) to urea (the last compound) produced by the liver and excreted by the kidneys may be affected in different ways, BUN is a rationale marker of liver but especially of the kidney function.
When BUN is abnormally elevated, it denotes a decreased and even insufficient renal (kidney) function.
Not rarely, BUN is abnormally increased in CHF patients, because the heart is not sufficiently pumping blood to the kidneys and the blood could not be cleared efficiently from the wasting products (including BUN).
But, this is not you case. Your liver and kidneys functions are perfect. BUN 4 mg/dl is perfectly normal.
So, relax and don't worry about!
I am waiting for you cardiac MRI results, just to have a direct review.
Hope you are having a nice weekend!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
