High-dose EPO also increased heart failure-associated genes such as Cdk8, Nox4, S100A, and SERCA2a, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-related genes such as Acta1, Myh7, Nppa, and Nppb in male WT mice but not in ΔEPORE male mice (Figures 2A, B). This evidence concerns the gene CDK8 and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.