Tg-BBLN mice with 50.4 ± 8.2-fold increased cardiac BBLN protein levels (Tg-1), had an early heart failure phenotype with a strongly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) of 18.0 ± 6.0% and an increased mortality starting at an age of 3 months (Fig. 2e,g). This evidence concerns the gene BBLN and heart failure.