Circulating Markers That Underlie the Transition From Compensated Hypertrophy to Heart Failure

The purpose of this research is to determine if two proteins in the blood are increased during acute heart failure. These two proteins are produced when the heart becomes dysfunctional and unable to contract normally. They may then be released into the blood and be detected by standard method in the research laboratory. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the relation between the change of these two proteins in the blood and the occurrence of acute heart failure. At this time, detection of an increase in these proteins in the blood is not known to be associated with any disease or heart failure.