Genetics of heart failure

Heart Failure (HF) affects more than 5 million people in the United States. HF means that the heart isn’t working like it used to. When this happens, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen or nutrients. Blood is not pumped out as well as it should. This can cause blood to back up into your organs and cause swelling. Most of the time, HF is managed by a healthy lifestyle and/or prescription drugs. The good news is that survival has increased for people with HF. The bad news is 1 out of 2 people still die within 5 years after diagnosis. In 15 years, we think that over 6 million people will have HF. “Heart events” often lead to HF. Heart attacks, high blood pressure, and heart disease can all cause HF. Heart disease is hardening of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. There are two categories of HF. In the first group, the left side of the heart doesn’t pump with enough force as it should. The left side of the heart is the side that pumps blood with oxygen to the body. High blood pressure or heart disease can cause this type of HF. In the other group, the left side of the heart does not fill like it should. This is because some or all the heart walls get “thick.” In this type of HF, the thick walls cannot relax enough to fill that side of the heart. Sometimes changes in our genes can increase our risk for getting a certain disease. Scientists in this study will look for patients who have had a “heart event.” They will check for a link between certain gene changes and those that get HF. They will also look to see if certain gene changes link with only one type of HF. This information could help doctors figure out who is most at risk for HF. It could even lead to ways to prevent getting HF after a “heart event.”