NPPB and acute kidney injury: AKI-dependent cardiac injury can be diagnosed by high-resolution echocardiography and by serum biomarkers of HF, such as the increase in aminoterminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and/or cardiac troponin T. However, while increasing NT-proBNP levels are associated with an increased risk of death, NT-proBNP is cleared by the kidneys, and the decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) itself will result in higher NT-proBNP levels [26].