Cardiology Service Conducts Feline Study
Owners who have cats that have or are suspected of having untreated asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)—a disease that affects the muscle of the heart—are invited to participate in clinical trial offered by the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM).
Conducted by the Cardiology Service in the CVM Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the trial seeks to identify correlations between quality-of-life scores, activity level, echocardiographic parameters, and cardiac biomarkers before and after six months of treatment with oral atenolol.
Eligible cats will not have any serious concurrent conditions; be between the ages of 1 and 10; have HCM with left atrial enlargement based on echocardiogram; will not be on antibiotics, cardiac medications, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); have a heart rate greater than 150 beats per minute; be able to take daily oral medication; and be able to wear a collar and remain indoors for two-week activity level recordings.
For more information on the study and on the financial incentives for participating, contact Allison Klein at 919.513.6325 or e-mail allison_klein@ncsu.edu.
Posted March 8, 2011
