Abstract
BACKGROUND: The relationship between physical heart failure (HF) symptoms and pathophysiological mechanisms is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the relationship between plasma β-adrenergic receptor kinase-1 (βARK1) and physical symptoms among adults with HF. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of data collected from two studies of adults with HF. Plasma βARK1 was quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Physical symptoms were measured with the HF Somatic Perception Scale (HFSPS). Generalized linear modeling was used to quantify the relationship between βARK1 and HFSPS scores. RESULTS: The average age (n = 94) was 54.5 ± 13.1 years, 76.6% were male, and a majority (83.0%) had Class III or IV HF. βARK1 was significantly associated with HFSPS scores (β = 0.22 ± 0.10, p = 0.038), adjusting for other predictors of physical symptoms (model R(2) = 0.250, F(7, 70) = 3.34, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Higher βARK1 is associated with worse physical HF symptoms, pinpointing a potential pathophysiologic underpinning.