The “REVEAL” study is a collaborative, international, 10 year investigation that involved 50 veterinary centers in 21 countries in an effort to better understand the natural history of the progression of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common heart disease in cats. HCM is characterized by thickening of the ventricular walls in the heart. While many cats with this condition do not show signs of disease for long periods of time, it carries the risk for potentially serious syndromes, including congestive heart failure (CHF) and the formation of blood clots within the cardiovascular system. These complications can range from manageable to life-threatening, and preventing or forestalling them is a major goal in the treatment of HCM in cats.

This study showed that cats with HCM are at a substantial risk of developing CHF, blood clot formation or both, with approximately 30% of cats in the study developing these complications over the 10 year study period. It also showed that cats that do develop these complications will generally survive significantly shorter periods of time than those that do not.

These results highlight the importance of developing improved treatment and monitoring options to manage cats with this most common of heart diseases.