Considering that heart failure is associated with both cardiac arrhythmias and conformational changes of Cx43 in the heart, and that Cx43 blockade decreases sympathetic-mediated cardiac arrhythmias in non-ischemic dystrophic hearts, we hypothesized that Cx43 mimetic peptide Gap27 will improve cardiac function and reduce arrhythmogenesis in non-ischemic heart failure. The gene discussed is GJA1; the disease is cardiac rhythm disease.