Patent ID: 8283128

Claim:
A method of assigning a risk of worsening renal function to a patient suffering from heart failure, comprising: performing an assay method that detects NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) on a body fluid sample obtained from said patient, thereby providing an NGAL assay result; comparing said NGAL assay result to a baseline NGAL result; and relating the NGAL assay result to the patient's risk of worsening renal function by assigning an increased risk of worsening renal function to said patient when said NGAL assay result is greater than said baseline NGAL result, relative to a risk assigned when said NGAL assay result is less than said baseline NGAL result, or by assigning a decreased risk of worsening renal function to said patient when said NGAL assay result is less than said baseline NGAL result, relative to a risk assigned when said NGAL assay result is greater than said baseline NGAL result.