IT'S ALL IN THE GENES: KNOWING YOUR RISK FOR HEART FAILURE

Episode Summary

The Northwestern Medicine Cardiovascular Genetics Program at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute provides comprehensive cardiovascular care encompassing genetic testing and medical management for all forms of inherited cardiovascular diseases.

Jane E. Wilcox, MD, MSc discusses the role of genetics in the etiology of heart failure. She shares some of the challenges that exist in identifying the genetic determinants of common, complex diseases such as CHD and how with the use of genetic testing, the ability to diagnose those who are at risk for heart disease before it has developed, can help to assure the latest treatments for the best patient outcomes.

Jane E. Wilcox, MD, MSc is a cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine and is director of the Myocardial Recovery Clinic for patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Her practice focuses include cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, heart transplantation and ventricular assist devices. She also has expertise in muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy and is an integral member of the multidisciplinary muscular dystrophy association (MDA) clinic at Northwestern. Dr. Wilcox is an assistant professor of medicine and the associate director of the T1 Center for Cardiovascular Therapeutics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.