Genes guide researchers to heart defence

“It’s a genetic mechanism that mimics the effects of the drugs,” said Dr. Stephen Liggett, a co-author of the study and a professor of medicine and physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The study, published on Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, could eventually lead to genetic testing for heart failure patients, with the goal of tailoring therapies based on the results, experts say.

The study showed how beta blockers affect long-term survival rates among heart failure patients with different genetic makers— adding to a growing body of evidence focused on the role genes play in how we respond to drugs. “We’re just at a point of understanding the genetics that put us at increased risk of common diseases, and the differences in how we respond to a lot of the medications we use for them,” said Dr. Maren T. Scheuner, a researcher at the Rand Corp. and the University of California, Los Angeles’ Center for Health Policy Research.

Heart failure develops when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the body. As the heart tries to compensate by pumping faster, it usually grows larger and becomes less effective. Beta blockers are among the most commonly prescribed medications for heart failure. But the effectiveness of beta blockers varies from one patient to the next. It can take as long as a year to determine if they’re working, and side effects include dizziness, fatigue, fluid retention and erectile dysfunction, Liggett said.

The study doesn’t resolve why beta blockers work better in some people than others. But the results may lead to screening tests that narrow down which patients are right for beta blockers.