Progress toward genetic tailoring of heart failure therapy

Heart failure (HF) is a modern epidemic and a heterogeneous disorder with many therapeutic options. While the average response to each individual treatment is favorable, significant interindividual variation exists in the response to HF therapeutics. As a result, the optimal regimen for an individual patient or subgroup of patients is elusive, with current treatment being mainly empirical. Pharmacogenetic customization of HF therapy may provide an important opportunity to improve the treatment of HF. Common genetic variations exist in genes related to most classes of HF drugs, many of which have known functional consequences for or established relationships with drug response. This review summarizes the current understanding of the pharmacogenetics of HF therapeutics, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers, and focuses on recent advances and medium-term expectations for the field.