Which biomarker is typically elevated in postpartum cardiomyopathy?

• A. BNP elevated
• B. Troponin elevation
• C. D-dimer elevated
• D. CK-MB elevated

Answer: (A)

Postpartum cardiomyopathy causes heart failure from systolic dysfunction, so the heart experiences increased wall stress and volume overload. When the ventricles stretch, they release B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), which accumulates in the blood and reflects the severity of heart failure. That makes BNP the typical biomarker elevated in this condition.

Troponin and CK-MB indicate myocardial injury rather than chronic heart failure, so they’re not reliably elevated in isolated postpartum cardiomyopathy unless there’s concurrent myocardial damage. D-dimer is a marker of coagulation and fibrinolysis and can be elevated in the postpartum period for other reasons, but it doesn’t reflect heart failure.