Press Release No. 11
Berlin
The Genetic Background of Heart Failure and the Role of Hypertension: A Close Cooperation between Basic Researchers and Clinicians in Berlin-Buch
Researchers from Berlin, Germany have identified variations in a gene, which contributes to heart failure in the presence of hypertension. The gene, Ephx2, encodes an enzyme (soluble epoxide hydrolase) that normally degrades specific epoxides. In this case, the epoxides can be cardioprotective in the setting of heart failure but not necessarily relevant for healthy individuals.