Today, measurement of serum BNP levels is routinely performed in patients presenting with heart failure symptoms and/or suspected cardiomyopathy (e.g. dilated cardiomyopathy) since normal BNP values allow to elegantly rule out congestive heart failure whereas elevated BNP values (in patients with normal renal function) point to an underlying cardiac disease and necessitate further cardiac examinations such as echocardiography and/or CMR [9]. This evidence concerns the gene NPPB and cardiomyopathy.