Do African Americans Benefit From Beta Blockers?

Should African American’s be treated with beta blockers to prevent heart failure? This has been a controversial question in the cardiovascular community. In this segment, Dr. Gerald Dorn of Washington University School of Medicine explains the biological mechanisms in which beta blockers offer protection from heart failure and what led him and his team to more closely examine the African American population who as a group does not seem to benefit as much from beta blockers. Learn in this segment about a gene variant identified by Dr. Dorn and his team carried by African American patients which provides protection from heart failure. Is this gene variant found in all African Americans? Are there other populations with this gene variant? Dr. Dorn talks about the implications of this study and where he hopes to go from here with his research.