Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pimobendan delays heart failure in dogs with early mitral valve
By Boswood, A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2016·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of Pimobendan in Dogs with Preclinical Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease and Cardiomegaly: The EPIC Study-A Randomized Clinical Trial.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 360 dogs with early signs of heart disease (myxomatous mitral valve disease) and enlarged hearts were given a medication called pimobendan to see if it could delay the onset of heart failure. The dogs that received pimobendan lived significantly longer before showing symptoms of heart failure compared to those who received a placebo, with an average extension of about 15 months. Both groups experienced similar side effects, indicating that pimobendan is safe for these dogs. This treatment can help manage heart disease before it becomes severe.
People also search for: dog heart disease treatment · pimobendan for dogs · myxomatous mitral valve disease symptoms
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pimobendan is effective in treatment of dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Its effect on dogs before the onset of CHF is unknown. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Administration of pimobendan (0.4-0.6 mg/kg/d in divided doses) to dogs with increased heart size secondary to preclinical MMVD, not receiving other cardiovascular medications, will delay the onset of signs of CHF, cardiac-related death, or euthanasia. ANIMALS: 360 client-owned dogs with MMVD with left atrial-to-aortic ratio ≥1.6, normalized left ventricular internal diameter in diastole ≥1.7, and vertebral heart sum >10.5. METHODS: Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded, multicenter clinical trial. Primary outcome variable was time to a composite of the onset of CHF, cardiac-related death, or euthanasia. RESULTS: Median time to primary endpoint was 1228 days (95% CI: 856-NA) in the pimobendan group and 766 days (95% CI: 667-875) in the placebo group (P = .0038). Hazard ratio for the pimobendan group was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.47-0.87) compared with the placebo group. The benefit persisted after adjustment for other variables. Adverse events were not different between treatment groups. Dogs in the pimobendan group lived longer (median survival time was 1059 days (95% CI: 952-NA) in the pimobendan group and 902 days (95% CI: 747-1061) in the placebo group) (P = .012). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Administration of pimobendan to dogs with MMVD and echocardiographic and radiographic evidence of cardiomegaly results in prolongation of preclinical period and is safe and well tolerated. Prolongation of preclinical period by approximately 15 months represents substantial clinical benefit.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27678080/