A family study shows, for the first time, that genes could be important in heart failure.

Researchers in the US have been investigating an aspect of heart function called diastolic function. This involves looking at how efficiently the heart refills with blood after a contracting heart beat. They measured diastolic function, using ultrasound, in 574 groups of siblings, most of whom had high blood pressure.

They found that genetics - that is, family relationships - accounted for about half of the variability in diastolic function. In fact, it may be that your diastolic function is set by the time you're born. This means your risk of heart failure, where poor diastolic function is a major factor, is largely predetermined by the genes you inherit. The next stage in this research could be to identify the genes that are involved in heart failure, in case this points the way to better treatment for this serious disease.

Source

Hypertension September 2002