Zoo Atlanta

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been identified as a major cause of death in great apes, but underlying causes are poorly understood. Likewise there is incomplete understanding of how to diagnose, treat, and monitor affected apes and how to adapt techniques used to address heart disease in humans and domestic animals. The Atlanta Fulton County Zoo will use this planning grant to design an innovative and coordinated national program to investigate ape CVD and establish uniform, state-of-the-art, cardiac diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies.