Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a condition where the heart loses its ability to pump blood throughout the body, is a common cause of death in the United States (US). It affects minorities more frequently and appears to causes greater harm than Whites. However, almost all research related to DCM has been performed in Whites, where up to half of cases run in the family. Several genes have been identified that cause the disease, but we are unsure if these same genes are also responsible for DCM in African Americans or Hispanic/Latino patients. The impact of various medical, social, and financial stressors on the severity of the disease in ethnic minorities also remains unclear. The investigators believe that certain genes are more common in different racial and ethnic groups and the greater medical, social, and financial burden faced by minorities in the US leads to more harm from DCM in these groups. The overall goal of the project is to test whether ethnic minority patients carrying genes that cause DCM experience more adverse effects in part because of various medical, social, and financial burdens. The investigators will first establish the UIC Multi-ethnic DCM Biorepository to look for how often certain genes are found across different race-ethnicity and then ask the question if these genes impact the severity of DCM. Finally, the investigators will study how a person's environment can alter the course of their disease. Through this, the investigators hope and strive to ensure equal and adequate heart care for individuals regardless of their race-ethnicity.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
1,500
University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences
Chicago, Illinois, United States
RECRUITINGLikely Pathogenic/Pathogenic Variants
Utilizing genomic sequencing, the investigators will obtain blood samples at baseline for study participants and identify utilizing genomic sequencing the prevalence of likely pathogenic/pathogenic (LP/P) variants in dilated cardiomyopathy patients across race-ethnicity.
Time frame: Baseline
Severity of Disease Symptoms: Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) Score
Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) Score will be administered to study participants with heart failure at set time points to access symptom burden. Score is based on a range of 0 to 105, with lower scores corresponding to lower symptom burden.
Time frame: Participants with heart failure or who develop heart failure will complete the digital MLHFQ assessments at 12 months, 24 months, and 60 months after initial enrollment or new heart failure diagnosis.
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