In human hearts, we observed that VLC dihydroceramides correlated with incidence of cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure and that expression of CERS2, a subtype of CERS known to synthesize VLC dihydroceramides, was positively associated with signaling pathways linked to cardiac arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy. This evidence concerns the gene CERS2 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.