A previous study from data of Washington, DC Dilated Cardiomyopathy Study revealed that black race was a “powerful predictor of mortality in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy after 12 to 24 months of follow-up.” The purpose of this case-control study was to determine whether this racial disadvantage persisted after 5 years of follow-up and when socioeconomic factors were included in the statistical analyses. The investigators concluded that “the association between black race and survival was substantially diminished after 5 years of follow-up,” was statistically non-significant, and was diminished even further by adjustment for income and type of health insurance. “Fewer black patients had private health insurance compared with whites. Black patients were less likely to have undergone coronary angiography and more likely to have electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy. Fewer black patients received beta blockers or antiarrhythmics.” In their conclusion, the authors suggest that the “racial differences in survival in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy patients are likely to be accounted for by socioeconomic factors related to access to quality cardiac care.”