Exploring the relationship between β-adrenergic receptor kinase-1 and physical symptoms in heart failure.

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.
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