Black people with a heart muscle disease, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) of unknown cause, are more likely than white patients to have family members with the disease, a new Ohio State University study found.
About 39% of Black patients with the disease also had at least one close relative – child, sibling or parent – suffering from the condition, compared to 28% of white patients, according to the study published in Journal of the American Medical Association.
"Integrating Black families into this DCM study was critically important because most information has only been available for white patients," Dr. Ray Hershberger of OSU’s Wexner Medical Center said in a press release. "Our study shows that families of Black patients are at greater risk for DCM than those of white patients. We don’t yet understand all of the reasons for this. It could be from differences in genetics, comorbidities or social determinants of health."
The study included only clinical information, "but the genetic analysis being completed now will soon be available," Hershberger said.
DCM typically occurs when patients are in their mid-40s.
“The severity of the condition can vary within families, with some family members exhibiting minor symptoms while others may die of heart failure or an arrhythmia causing sudden cardiac death," the release said.
Symptoms include shortness of breath with exertion, fatigue, fluid retention in the legs and feet, and an irregular heartbeat.
