Racial Differences in the Outcome of Left Ventricular Dysfunction

To the Editor: In their article on racial differences in the outcome of left ventricular dysfunction, Dries et al. (Feb. 25 issue)¹ conclude that “black patients with asymptomatic or symptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction appear to be at higher risk for progression of heart failure and for death than similarly treated white patients, even when adjustment is made for differences in the severity and cause of heart failure, the management of heart failure, coexisting illnesses, and socioeconomic status.” The authors speculate that physiologic differences, presumably genetically determined, account for the otherwise unexplained differences in outcome.This conclusion seems unwarranted on . . .