Searching for the Cause of Diet-Associated Heart Disease

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common disease of the heart muscle that affects certain large or giant dog breeds. However, in recent years, veterinarians began seeing dogs in their clinics with a unique form of the disease – one that appears to be associated with diets that are grain-free or contain pulses, including peas and lentils. Diet-associated DCM (daDCM) is unique in that it can affect dogs of any breed and size. Unlike other forms of DCM, heart function in affected dogs can improve if the diet is changed. Researchers recently found higher levels of abnormal mitochondria in dogs with daDCM than in those with primary DCM. Mitochondria supply energy to cells throughout the body but are especially important in heart cells where a continuous energy supply is needed for the heart to beat. Genetic mutations or toxins that damage mitochondria can lead to DCM. The team hopes to pinpoint the cause of daDCM by studying the mitochondrial structure and function in dog hearts and hopefully identify changes that are unique to dogs with daDCM compared to dogs with primary DCM, as well as to a control group of dogs without heart disease. If successful, this new information may help pinpoint the cause of daDCM for early intervention and prevention.