Heart Disease Treatment For Cats May Benefit Humans

A treatment intended to help our feline friends may hold potential in treating a type of heart disease that plagues cats and humans. Seeker reported that recent trials conducted using the drug MYK-461 show promising results in diminishing symptoms of hypertonic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

HCM is a form of heart disease that is incredibly common in cats, affecting one in seven animals. The disease thickens ventricle walls and can lead to blood clots, congestive heart failure and sudden death.

People are also impacted by this disease and it is estimated that one in 500 humans have HCM or can develop it at any age. HCM can be inherited, develop with age, develop in conjunction with high blood pressure or because of unknown causes. While some may live normal lives and never know they have the disease, others experience worsening chest pain and fatigue and some, even healthy athletes, succumb to sudden death.

A team from the University of California (UC), Davis veterinary program has been working hard to treat the disease. “There has been little to no progress in advancing the treatment of HCM in humans or animals for many years,” said Joshua Stern, chief of the cardiology service at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

The drug has been tested in a small trial in which five cats were administered the treatment. In all five, the drug eliminated left-ventricle obstruction, findings that were reported in the journal PLOS ONE.