Lay summary
Heart failure is a leading cause of hospitalisation in adults over 65 years and one in four patients die within 1 year. Any condition that damages the heart can cause heart failure. However, the rate at which heart failure develops varies considerably and is difficult to predict. Genetics may offer a new approach, identifying those at risk early in the disease course. We aim to investigate how large structural DNA variants (copy-number variants, CNVs), which can cause major disruption via deletion or duplication of genes, influence risk of heart failure. We will utilise large national and international datasets to perform the first genetic association study for CNVs and heart failure and test whether CNVs improve our ability to predict heart failure beyond established risk factors. This will identify CNVs that may improve risk prediction, treatment and management of heart failure and identify new drug targets.