Differences in Cardiac Structure and Function Between Black and White Patients: Another Step in the Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk in Chronic Kidney Disease

Black Americans have the highest incidence of heart failure (HF) among racial groups in the United States, HF affecting 3% of all African American adults. This reflects a 50% greater incidence of HF among African Americans than seen in the remaining population.¹ These observations have fueled interest in exploring the differences in left ventricular (LV) mass (LVM) and geometry between Blacks and Whites, because it is well known that LV hypertrophy (LVH) and related abnormalities of LV diastolic function may precede and predict subsequent HF.^2,3 Indeed, several lines of evidence,^4–8 with some exceptions,⁹ support the notion of a strong association between Black ethnicity and increased LVM and relative wall thickness.

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