Dietary intervention reduces left atrial enlargement in dogs with early preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease: a blinded randomized controlled study in 36 dogs

• Published in: BMC veterinary research 2019-11, Vol.15 (1), p.425-425, Article 425
• Main Authors: Li, Qinghong, Heaney, Allison, Langenfeld-McCoy, Natalie, Boler, Brittany Vester, Laflamme, Dorothy P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative energy; Alternative energy sources; Animal Feed - analysis; Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants (Nutrients); Aorta; Cardiac function; Cardiovascular diseases; Congestive heart failure; Coronary artery disease; Cruelty to animals; Diet; Diet Therapy - veterinary; Dietary intervention; Disease; Dog Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Dog Diseases - diet therapy; Dogs; Echocardiography; Echocardiography - veterinary; Energy metabolism; Energy requirements; Fatty acids; Female; Fish Oils; Free radicals; Heart Atria - diagnostic imaging; Heart Atria - pathology; Heart diseases; Heart failure; Heart valve diseases; Heart Valve Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Heart Valve Diseases - diet therapy; Heart Valve Diseases - veterinary; Inflammation; Male; Medical research; Medium chain triglycerides; Metabolism; Mitral valve; Mitral Valve - pathology; Mitral valve disease; Mitral valve insufficiency; Nutrients; Oils & fats; Oxidation; Oxidative metabolism; Oxidative stress; Physiological aspects; Randomized controlled trial; Regurgitation; Rheumatic heart disease; Triglycerides; Ultrasonic imaging
• ISSN: 1746-6148; 1746-6148
• DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-2169-1

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), the most common naturally-occurring heart disease in dogs, is associated with alterations in energy metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammation. Energy deprivation plays a causal role in the development of heart failure. This study was designed to determine if a cardiac protection blend (CPB) of nutrients containing medium-chain triglycerides as an alternative energy source, fish oil to reduce inflammation, antioxidants, and other key nutrients important to cardiac health and function could slow or prevent MMVD progression. Nineteen dogs with early stage MMVD and 17 breed-, age-, and sex-matched healthy dogs were enrolled for a 6-month blinded, placebo-controlled study. Dogs in each cardiac health group were randomly assigned to either control diet (CON) or CPB-supplemented diet. Echocardiography was performed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. No changes were found in healthy dogs. While MMVD-CON dogs had an average 10% increase over baseline in left atrial diameter (LAD) and left atrial to aortic root ratio (LA/Ao) at 6 months, MMVD-CPB dogs showed 3% decreases, resulting significant diet by time interactions (P = 0.037, P = 0.005, respectively). More MMVD-CON dogs progressed from stage B1 to B2 during the study. A positive correlation was found between 6-month changes in LAD and blood pressures in MMVD-CPB dogs (systolic: P = 0.050, diastolic: P = 0.035) but not MMVD-CON dogs. Our results demonstrated efficacy of CPB-based dietary intervention in reducing LA size and mitral regurgitation, and in slowing or preventing the progression of early MMVD in dogs.