Burden of dyspnea and fatigue in heart failure varies by race and is heritable

Background: The drivers of symptom burden in heartfailure (HF) are poorly understood. Small studies have suggested racial disparities, but data are sparse, and the extent to which these disparities may have genetic underpinnings is unclear. Methods: A prospective genetic registry enrolled 1765 patients with HF. All subjects underwent genome wide genotyping and completed the Kansas City Cardiomypathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). Dyspneaand fatigue severity (KCCQ questions 5-8) were compared by self identifed race (African American [AA] vs. white) using Wilcoxon 2 sample test. Heritability of symptom burden was calculated using the Linkage Disequilibrium Adjusted Kinship method, stratifed by race, and then adjusted for potential confounders. Results: A total of 1662 patient had complete data for analysis; the average age was 69 years, 65% had E