Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ivabradine reduces heart obstruction in cats with early heart disease
By Blass, K A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2014·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Acute effects of ivabradine on dynamic obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract in cats with preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 28 cats with a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and related breathing problems were given either ivabradine or atenolol to see which medication worked better to relieve their symptoms. While both medications reduced the obstruction in the heart, atenolol was much more effective than ivabradine. The cats showed a significant improvement in heart function with atenolol, while ivabradine had only a minor effect. If your cat has HCM, discussing atenolol with your vet might be a better option for managing their condition.
People also search for: cat heart disease treatment · hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats · ivabradine vs atenolol for cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ivabradine is a negative chronotropic drug with minimal effects on central hemodynamics. Its effect on dynamic obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains unknown. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Ivabradine reduces dynamic obstruction of the LVOT in cats with HCM. ANIMALS: Twenty-eight client-owned cats with preclinical HCM and dynamic LVOT obstruction. METHODS: Randomized, double-blind, active-control single dose study. Cats received a single dose of either ivabradine (0.3 mg/kg PO) or atenolol (2 mg/kg PO). Heart rate, echocardiographic variables, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were recorded before and 3 hours after drug administration. Statistical comparisons were made using ANCOVA. RESULTS: Peak velocity in the LVOT was significantly decreased compared to baseline for both drugs; however, the effect was more prominent with atenolol (mean reduction 2.53 m/s; 95% CI 2.07-3.13 m/s) compared to ivabradine (mean reduction 0.32 m/s; 95% CI -0.04 to 0.71 m/s; P < .0001). Echocardiographic indices of systolic function were largely unchanged by ivabradine, but significantly reduced by atenolol. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: A single dose of ivabradine decreases dynamic LVOT obstruction in cats with HCM, but the clinical effect is negligible and inferior compared to that achieved by atenolol.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24597596/