In patients with heart failure, there is disassociation between exercise capacity and cardiac performance. My research focuses on understanding the peripheral (i.e. non-cardiac) mechanisms of exertional intolerance in heart failure patients. We have developed non-invasive techniques to assess skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, the diffusional conductance for oxygen across the skeletal muscle into the mitochondria, and how the metabolites associated with exercise may impact the sympathetic nervous system through a reflex arc known as the metaboreflex. We are always in the process of thinking of new non-invasive ways to assess the determinants of exercise capacity. While these techniques offer a wealth of information, analyzing the skeletal muscle tissue itself would provide enormous additional information. This informed consent and protocol have been developed to include muscle biopsy as either an optional assessment to be performed during any of our IRB-approved protocols or as a stand-alone procedure, in the hopes of ultimately developing a repository of skeletal muscle samples.

You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria:

• Conditions: TBD, tbd, tbd
• Age: - 99 Years
• Gender: All