Cleveland Heart and Metabolic Prevention Study

The purpose of this research study is to investigate the role of chemical reactions, such as inflammation and oxidation, in the cause of cardiac dysfunction (the heart does not function properly). The investigators are interested in studying the various chemical pathways for cell damage to determine which are the most prevalent and/or most important. The investigators also want to determine whether waste products of oxidative damage or other chemicals can be monitored in the blood or urine and serve as an indication of the existence and severity of overall heart disease activity. The investigators further want to determine whether certain proteins, called enzymes, affect this cell damage, or whether the presence or absence of certain genes which create different forms of these enzymes correlate with the development of heart failure or cardiomyopathy (weakening of the heart muscle or a change in heart muscle structure) or other cardiovascular diseases.