Photo of a female animal caretaker (Åsa Ohlsson, SLU) with a cat at the veterinary clinic.
Åsa Ohlsson, research leader for the group at SLU that has been tasked with leading the project “Epigenetic modifications linked to the development of cardiomyopathy” during the period 2024-2027. Photo: Lisa Chröisty, SLU

The mystery of heart muscle disease—Can cats help us find the answers?

Page reviewed:  30/09/2026

Both cats and humans suffer from the serious heart muscle disease known as cardiomyopathy—a fatal condition that, as of today, cannot be predicted based on either genetics or environmental factors. Could researchers find the answers in cats—and then apply that knowledge to help humans as well?

Cardiomyopathy, a complex term that can be loosely translated as “heart muscle disease.” It is a group of diseases that can manifest in various forms and affect cats, dogs, and humans alike. 

When humans are diagnosed with this condition, there is often only one solution: a heart transplant. For our animals, however, it is currently an incurable disease—one in which veterinarians can only help alleviate pain and discomfort.

In order to find new ways to both cure and prevent this serious disease, the big question is now being brought into the spotlight: What actually causes the disease?

The cat's heart - unlocking opportunities to find the answers

We already know that these heart diseases are often genetically linked, but it’s not quite that simple, because the disease can apparently also skip generations or affect only certain siblings, and we don’t know why—yet. But this clearly suggests that there’s more to it than just our DNA, says Åsa Ohlsson, project manager for the research project.

As a result, researchers are now looking for other possible explanations—both factors that may occur within the body and those that may be influenced by substances we are exposed to in our environment.

Photo outside an examination room at the veterinary clinic.
Could the cat's heart be the key to new discoveries about the heart disease cardiomyopathy? Photo: Lisa Chröisty

As with many other diseases, it is possible to study the affected organ as the disease progresses in the body through a biopsy. In this procedure, a very small piece of the organ is removed and examined. 

But when it comes to heart disease, this is not an option. The heart is difficult to biopsy without disrupting its vital function in the body. Therefore, the only way to study hearts—whether healthy or diseased—is through postmortem sampling.

What we therefore need to conduct further research is fresh heart tissue. But it is often both ethically and morally difficult to justify gaining access to a deceased person’s heart within just minutes of their death, says Åsa Ohlsson, adding:
When it comes to our pets, however, the attitude is often different—not least because pet owners often want to prevent others from going through what they themselves have experienced.

That is why researchers are now turning to animals—cats and dogs—to learn more about the possible causes of cardiomyopathy. A fantastic opportunity, since the diseases are very similar in cats, dogs, and humans. In this way, the researchers hope not only to increase our understanding of the development of cardiomyopathy in our most common pets, but also, hopefully, to eventually apply this knowledge to humans as well.

The mystery behind what changes the expression of our DNA

All of our traits are “written” in what is known as our DNA: like a long code contained in all of our cells, regardless of whether they are brain, skin, or heart cells.

A cell’s function is determined by the fact that it has access only to a tiny, tiny portion of the DNA code that is “unlocked” and thus readable by that particular cell. The rest of the code is also present—in every single cell—but it is locked and inaccessible. This is partly why a brain cell functions as a brain cell and not as a liver cell.

But this can change—partly due to malfunctions in the body’s mechanisms that are supposed to ensure that the right areas are locked or unlocked, and partly due to environmental factors and lifestyle habits.

We know that our lifestyle can influence the development of disease, and this is certainly true when it comes to cardiomyopathy. There are naturally occurring substances in our environment, as well as chemicals to which we are exposed, that can alter how the DNA in a cell is “open” or “inaccessible” for reading. This can then lead to the cells losing the ability to perform their intended function. And that’s what we need to investigate—and hopefully find answers to, says researcher Åsa Ohlsson.

Contact

  • Åsa Ohlsson, Researcher
    HBIO, Division of Genetics, Breeding, Biochemistry and Bioinformatics (GENBIO)