NPPB and congestive heart failure: Accordingly, a higher incidence of CKD, together with a more severe venous congestion and a more pronounced inflammatory response, as well as higher serum levels of NT-proBNP, an established predictor of worsening renal function in CHF28, may well explain the more severe impairment of renal function in our AHF patients with worsening of CHF compared to de novo AHF patients.