Grant: Catalyst Grant: Personalized Health Catalyst Grants

Heart failure (HF) arises when the heart muscle cannot pump sufficient blood to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen. For example, a heart attack or high blood pressure can leave the heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump efficiently. Symptoms of HF include shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling. HF is divided in two categories; depending on which heart problem causes the HF. "Systolic HF (also called HF with reduced ejection fraction or HF-REF)" occurs when the heart cannot contract strongly, indicating a pumping problem. Many medications are effective to treat this type of HF. "Diastolic HF (also called HF with preserved ejection fraction or HF-PEF)" occurs when the heart cannot relax, leading to a filling problem. Treatment options are much more limited for this type of HF. Women are more likely to develop HF-PEF, while men are more likely to develop HF-REF. Moreover, women with HF have generally a better survival than men with HF. Currently, little information is available to know if some genes influence the risk of developing HF or the efficacy of its treatment. Because genes contain the information that makes all individuals unique, we hypothesis they could be used to personalize the management of HF. As part of this research project, we propose to evaluate whether women and men with HF show differences in genetic risk factors of HF. Moreover, we plan to investigate whether these genetic factors influence the risk of mortality and hospitalisation differently between men and women and the effects of drugs. To do so, we will use multiple studies of patients with HF. The identification of such genetic factors will not only lead to a more personalize evaluation of the risk of HF and its treatment, it could also lead to the identification of new treatments for this disease.