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MVD study/ Vetmedin published

Karlin

Administrator
Staff member
Some of this information was out before but this press release came out yesterday (note it IS a press release not a general article!). There is a video that mainly features cavaliers here: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/boehringeringelheim/34774

Landmark research heralds new era in dog heart treatment and longer life for dogs

Global QUEST study reveals dogs with congestive heart failure have significantly improved survival outcomes with Vetmedin® (pimobendan)

Ingelheim/Germany, 4 September 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Veterinarians and dog owners are today welcoming new research that delivers the promise of an extended happy life together for millions of dog owners and their pets. The three-year study demonstrates that dogs suffering from the most common type of heart failure live on average 91% (267 days vs. 140 days) longer when treated with the product Vetmedin® (pimobendan) compared with another common treatment option.1

Results from the QUEST (Quality of Life and Extension of Survival Time) study, published in the current issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, mark a significant milestone in canine cardiac health. Experts report that 25% of all small to medium-sized dogs over the age of seven are likely to suffer from heart disease at some point in their life2, and 75% of those cases are caused by myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD)3, sometimes known as "valvular insufficiency" or "endocardiosis".

Adrian Boswood from the Royal Veterinary College, London, a Veterinary Cardiology Specialist and a lead-investigator on the study, explains that the independent QUEST trial set out to explore the impact on survival of Vetmedin® versus another current treatment, benazepril hydrochloride, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.

"With QUEST demonstrating that dogs treated with Vetmedin® live on average nearly twice as long as those on benazepril,1 it is now time for us as veterinary cardiologists and practising veterinarians to look again at how we are treating our patients suffering from this serious condition."

Dr. Michael O'Grady from the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, a fellow lead-investigator added, "The QUEST study provides compelling evidence that dogs with the most common form of heart failure should be receiving Vetmedin® as an essential part of their treatment regimen."

QUEST is the largest international study ever conducted looking at treatment for congestive heart failure (CHF) caused by MMVD, with 260 dogs studied in 11 countries, across three continents, over a period of three years.

The study was conducted by a team of 32 independent veterinary cardiologists from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom among other countries.

CHF caused by MMVD most commonly affects older, small breed dogs, including Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Poodles, Chihuahuas and Dachshunds.3

Symptoms of this form of heart failure that dog owners should look for include coughing, reduced tolerance for exercise, anxiety and restlessness during the night, and laboured breathing.3 If these symptoms are present, it is important that dog owners take their pets to their veterinarians for assessment and treatment.

"Dog owners should be encouraged by the results of the QUEST study, as it demonstrates an important treatment option for lengthening a dog's life when it has this common, debilitating and life-threatening heart condition," said Jens Häggström, Professor of Veterinary Internal Medicine, University of Uppsala and the other lead-investigator on the trial.

Owners now have new information regarding the best chance for enjoying the maximum time possible with their dogs suffering from the most common cause of heart failure.

"With our dogs being so important to our families, we owners should do all we can to make sure our pets are receiving the most effective treatment", said Sally Copland, owner of Fern, an eight-year-old King Charles Spaniel being treated with Vetmedin®. "None of us want our pets' lives unnecessarily cut short," she added.

The full QUEST study results, providing hard evidence about the importance of using Vetmedin, appear in the September/October 2008 issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

For more information on the QUEST study and on CHF caused by MMVD,
please visit www.questtrial.com
 
14 year old on vetmedin

Just thought I would let you know my 14 year old B/T Cassie was started on Fortekor 5 about 4 years ago, all was well for about 2 years then she started to go down hill fast at one point hubby and I thought that it was her time to go to the bridge but my wonderful vet thought otherwise and started her on vetmedin twice daily in conjuction with fortekor 5 the dramatic improvement was an utter joy and although now at 14 she has slowed down she is still enjoying life has a wonderful appetite does not cough at all and is my little darling.



HollyDolly
 
Here is the abstract of the QUEST study:

Effect of Pimobendan or Benazepril Hydrochloride on Survival Times in Dogs with Congestive Heart Failure Caused by Naturally Occurring Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease: The QUEST Study.

Häggström J, Boswood A, O'Grady M, Jöns O, Smith S, Swift S, Borgarelli M, Gavaghan B, Kresken JG, Patteson M, Ablad B, Bussadori CM, Glaus T, Kovačević A, Rapp M, Santilli RA, Tidholm A, Eriksson A, Belanger MC, Deinert M, Little CJ, Kvart C, French A, Rønn-Landbo M, Wess G, Eggertsdottir AV, O'Sullivan ML, Schneider M, Lombard CW, Dukes-McEwan J, Willis R, Louvet A, Difruscia R.

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.

Background: Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in geriatric dogs despite conventional therapy. Hypothesis: Pimobendan in addition to conventional therapy will extend time to sudden cardiac death, euthanasia for cardiac reasons, or treatment failure when compared with conventional therapy plus benazepril in dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) attributable to MMVD. Animals: Two hundred and sixty client-owned dogs in CHF caused by MMVD were recruited from 28 centers in Europe, Canada, and Australia. Methods: A prospective single-blinded study with dogs randomized to PO receive pimobendan (0.4-0.6 mg/kg/d) or benazepril hydrochloride (0.25-1.0 mg/kg/d). The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, euthanized for heart failure, or treatment failure. Results: Eight dogs were excluded from analysis. One hundred and twenty-four dogs were randomized to pimobendan and 128 to benazepril. One hundred and ninety dogs reached the primary endpoint; the median time was 188 days (267 days for pimobendan, 140 days for benazepril hazard ratio = 0.688, 95% confidence limits [CL] = 0.516-0.916, P= .0099). The benefit of pimobendan persisted after adjusting for all baseline variables. A longer time to reach the endpoint was also associated with being a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, requiring a lower furosemide dose, and having a higher creatinine concentration. Increases in several indicators of cardiac enlargement (left atrial to aortic root ratio, vertebral heart scale, and percentage increase in left ventricular internal diameter in systole) were associated with a shorter time to endpoint, as was a worse tolerance for exercise. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Pimobendan plus conventional therapy prolongs time to sudden death, euthanasia for cardiac reasons, or treatment failure in dogs with CHF caused by MMVD compared with benazepril plus conventional therapy.
 
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