Presentations

Abstract

Introduction:

Heart failure is continuing to have a larger impact on Black Americans than White Americans [1-3]. Social determinants of health (SDOH) are considered to play a role in mitigating factors that cause heart failure [4]. An individual's neighborhood provides these exposures, and neighborhoods can vary widely within cities, like Washington, D.C., in terms of wealth and resources [5-7]. These factors influence one's knowledge and ability to prevent or control heart failure. Determinants can then affect possible biomarkers, measured in biospecimens, that signal heart failure [2]. Using surveys, neighborhood data, and clinical measures like plasma and urine samples collected from Black and White residents of D.C., we want to pinpoint how these pieces mold the differences in prevalence and mortality of heart failure in Black and White individuals.

Methods:

This study will use an observational, cross-sectional design with around 2000 participants, women and men, in each of the following cohorts: high socioeconomic status (SES) Black, low SES Black, high SES White, low SES White. The high SES participants will be recruited from wards 1, 2, 3 of D.C. and the low SES participants from wards 5, 7, 8. Participants must be at least 50 years old, and they will be grouped by 5-year age groups within their given cohort. Data collection will occur at the Hope Center, an NIH off-site research clinic in a subsidized housing complex in Washington, D.C., MedStar Washington Hospital Center, and NIH Clinical Center. Participants must have preclinical heart failure. Their initial visit will include collection of vital signs, anthropometric measures (BMI, waist circumference), ECG, plasma and urine samples, and a frailty assessment. The participant will then complete two surveys as follows: SDOH survey and the heart failure awareness survey. Their address will be input into various neighborhood databases to gather relevant data.

Conclusion:

This protocol will contribute to expanding the limited data on heart failure disparities based on race, neighborhood, and clinical data measures in Washington, D.C. We hope to contribute to future proteomic studies for heart failure and hypothesis-driven research on more specific causes of heart failure disparities.