Revolutionary New Diet Shown To Support Cardiac Function In Dogs
3 years ago 
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On 30th June, PURINA® will launch Pro Plan® Veterinary Diets CC CardioCare™, a new diet containing a blend of nutrients to support heart function. This nutrient blend has been supported by clinical research, with a 2019 study revealing it has the potential to delay the progression of preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in dogs. For vets in practice, the diet could prove a useful tool to help support dogs with MMVD or chronic cardiac insufficiency of another cause.
The CardioCare™ diet is based on ground-breaking research carried out at the Purina Technology Center exploring how nutrients can support the ailing heart. First, a series of metabolomics studies identified key metabolic changes that occur in MMVD and established the basis of these at the molecular level. Second, a ‘Cardiac Nutritional Blend’ was designed to address these metabolic changes and this was evaluated in a clinical study.
Key elements of the Cardiac Nutritional Blend include carnitine precursors, antioxidants and medium-chain triglycerides. The latter provide an alternative energy source that is easy for the struggling heart to utilise – this is particularly important as the metabolomics research revealed that dogs with MMVD showed less efficient cardiac energy metabolism.1
A clinical study, published in 2019, showed that the Cardiac Nutritional Blend has the potential to delay disease progression in dogs with preclinical MMVD. Over the six-month study period, dogs with preclinical MMVD fed the Cardiac Nutritional Blend showed a reduction in left atrial size, while an equivalent group of dogs fed a control diet showed an increase. Additionally, none of the dogs fed the Cardiac Nutritional Blend progressed from stage B1 to B2 during the study, while 37% of dogs fed the control diet showed progression.2
While the clinical research to date has focused on MMVD, the nutrients in CardioCare™ are recognised to be beneficial under conditions of cardiac stress and the diet may prove a useful tool to provide support in a wider range of conditions. It is recommended that the diet can be considered as part of the management plan for dogs with cardiac insufficiency.
Dr Libby Sheridan, PURINA® Scientific Affairs Manager for the UK & Ireland, says that PURINA® is proud to translate its cutting-edge research into practice. “Metabolomics research has the scope to drive huge advances in managing a range of conditions,” she says. “We’re proud to be at the forefront of this exciting field and bring the benefits of our findings to vets in practice. CardioCare™ opens up a new avenue of support for patients with cardiac insufficiency and vets can use this diet as a tool to complement medical treatment.”
CardioCare™ will be available from 30th June, and veterinary professionals can contact [email protected] for more information.
References
1. Li Q, Freeman LM, Rush JE, Huggins GS, Kennedy AD, Labuda JA, Laflamme DP and Hannah SS (2015). Veterinary medicine and multi-Omics research for future nutrition targets: metabolomics and Transcriptomics of the common degenerative mitral valve disease in dogs. OMICS 19(8):461-470. DOI: 10.1089/omi.2015.0057
2. Li Q, Heaney A, Langenfeld-McCoy N, Boler BV and Laflamme DP (2019). Dietary intervention reduces left atrial enlargement in dogs with early preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease: a blinded randomized controlled study in 36 dogs. BMC Veterinary Research 15(1):425. DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-2169-1.
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