Managing patients with heart failure is no easy task. For those of us who delve in the daily ‘fray’ of heart failure, there are a number of situations where appropriate use of biomarkers may lead to better treatment: In patients presenting with dyspnoea, how sure are we of the diagnosis of heart failure? What treatments can I safely start in the hospital? How do I know the appropriate time to discharge a patient? Who is at high risk for early readmission and what can I do to prevent it?