Amlodipine decreases mitral regurgitation volume in dogs over 7 days: A study of 24 dogs with myxomatous mitral valve degeneration

• Published in: Veterinary record open Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. e33 - n/a
• Main Authors: Park, Sool Yi, Oh, Won‐Seok, Lee, Seunggon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2022; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Blood pressure; Creatinine; Dogs; Doppler effect; Heart; Laboratory animals; Original Research; Phosphorus; United States > US
• ISSN: 2399-2050; 2052-6113; 2052-6113
• DOI: 10.1002/vro2.33

Background Amlodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium‐channel blocker, is currently being investigated as a treatment for myxomatous mitral valvular degeneration (MMVD). However, the effects of amlodipine on moderate or severe spontaneous MMVD, based on changes in echocardiographic indices, remain unclear. Animals Client‐owned small‐breed dogs (n = 24) with naturally occurring MMVD of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) stage B2 or higher. Methods Basic dog information including previous medication treatments were recorded. All subjects received amlodipine 0.1 mg/kg, administered per os, twice daily for 7 days, in addition to their existing medication. We measured systolic blood pressure, obtained x‐ray, echocardiography, blood test data before and after 1 week of amlodipine administration. Results Left ventricular end‐diastolic internal diameter, left atrial diameter and E wave reduced statistically after 1 week of amlodipine treatment (all p < 0.001). No adverse effects were reported. Conclusions These findings suggest that low‐dose amlodipine should be considered as treatment for dogs with ACVIM stage B2‒C MMVD.