Heart Failure in Diabetic Cats

Little, C. J. and G. Gettinby (2008). "Heart failure is common in diabetic cats: findings from a retrospective case-controlled study in first-opinion practice." J Small Anim Pract 49(1): 17-25.

Diabetes mellitus is a common disease in cats and the prevalence may be increasing. In people, death associated with diabetes is commonly due to cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the prognosis and cause of death in cats with diabetes mellitus diagnosed between 1999 and 2005 at a veterinary hospital in Kent, England. Nineteen cats with diabetes were each matched with three age-, breed-, and gender-matched control cats without diabetes. The incidence of heart disease in the diabetic cats was 26% versus 3.5% in the control cats. Cats with diabetes were 10.4 times more likely to have heart disease than non-diabetic cats. Survival time was significantly worse for cats with diabetes (median 385 days) versus control cats (median 718 days). All cats with heart failure died or were euthanized soon after the diagnosis. This study concluded that heart disease and failure is common in this population of cats with diabetes.
>> PubMed abstract

Related articles:
Ployngam, T., A. H. Tobias, et al. (2006). "Hemodynamic effects of methylprednisolone acetate administration in cats." Am J Vet Res 67(4): 583-7.
>> PubMed abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library

Little, C. J. and G. Gettinby (2008). "Heart failure is common in diabetic cats: findings from a retrospective case-controlled study in first-opinion practice." J Small Anim Pract 49(1): 17-25.

Diabetes mellitus is a common disease in cats and the prevalence may be increasing. In people, death associated with diabetes is commonly due to cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the prognosis and cause of death in cats with diabetes mellitus diagnosed between 1999 and 2005 at a veterinary hospital in Kent, England. Nineteen cats with diabetes were each matched with three age-, breed-, and gender-matched control cats without diabetes. The incidence of heart disease in the diabetic cats was 26% versus 3.5% in the control cats. Cats with diabetes were 10.4 times more likely to have heart disease than non-diabetic cats. Survival time was significantly worse for cats with diabetes (median 385 days) versus control cats (median 718 days). All cats with heart failure died or were euthanized soon after the diagnosis. This study concluded that heart disease and failure is common in this population of cats with diabetes.
>> PubMed abstract

Related articles:
Ployngam, T., A. H. Tobias, et al. (2006). "Hemodynamic effects of methylprednisolone acetate administration in cats." Am J Vet Res 67(4): 583-7.
>> PubMed abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library

Read More

Biochemical Markers for Feline Heart Disease

Connolly, D. J., R. J. Soares Magalhaes, et al. (2008). "Circulating natriuretic peptides in cats with heart disease." J Vet Intern Med 22(1): 96-105.with heart disease." J Vet Intern Med 22(1): 96-105.

Natriuretic peptides are hormones produced by cardiac muscle cells, and include atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). These hormones are released in response to stretching of the atria (ANP) and ventricles (BNP), and are responsible for regulation of body fluids and blood pressure. The forms of these hormones measured in circulation are NT-proANP and NT-proBNP. In human medicine, these biochemical markers are used as patient-side tests for the diagnosis and prognosis of cardiac disease. In people with HCM, NT-proBNP is increased and correlates with severity of disease. Increased concentrations of BNP have been reported in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and congestive heart failure (CHF). In this study, serum NT-proANP and NT-proBNP levels were measured in 28 healthy control cats and 50 cats with heart disease. Of the 50 cats with heart disease, 33 were in CHF while the remaining 17 were not. The study found that both markers were able to distinguish cats with heart disease from normal cats, but NT-proBNP was able to distinguish cats without CHF from normal cats. With further investigation, it may be possible to use NT-proBNP as a screening test for heart disease in cats. Any cats with positive test results should be evaluated with a more specific test, such as echocardiography, for false positives are possible.

>> PubMed abstract

Related articles:

MacLean, H. N., J. A. Abbott, et al. (2006). "N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide immunoreactivity in plasma of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy." J Vet Intern Med 20(2): 284-9.

>> PubMed abstract

Winn funded research

Biondo, A. W., E. J. Ehrhart, et al. (2003). "Immunohistochemistry of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides in control cats and cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy." Vet Pathol 40(5): 501-6.

>> PubMed abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library

Connolly, D. J., R. J. Soares Magalhaes, et al. (2008). "Circulating natriuretic peptides in cats with heart disease." J Vet Intern Med 22(1): 96-105.with heart disease." J Vet Intern Med 22(1): 96-105.

Natriuretic peptides are hormones produced by cardiac muscle cells, and include atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). These hormones are released in response to stretching of the atria (ANP) and ventricles (BNP), and are responsible for regulation of body fluids and blood pressure. The forms of these hormones measured in circulation are NT-proANP and NT-proBNP. In human medicine, these biochemical markers are used as patient-side tests for the diagnosis and prognosis of cardiac disease. In people with HCM, NT-proBNP is increased and correlates with severity of disease. Increased concentrations of BNP have been reported in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and congestive heart failure (CHF). In this study, serum NT-proANP and NT-proBNP levels were measured in 28 healthy control cats and 50 cats with heart disease. Of the 50 cats with heart disease, 33 were in CHF while the remaining 17 were not. The study found that both markers were able to distinguish cats with heart disease from normal cats, but NT-proBNP was able to distinguish cats without CHF from normal cats. With further investigation, it may be possible to use NT-proBNP as a screening test for heart disease in cats. Any cats with positive test results should be evaluated with a more specific test, such as echocardiography, for false positives are possible.

>> PubMed abstract

Related articles:

MacLean, H. N., J. A. Abbott, et al. (2006). "N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide immunoreactivity in plasma of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy." J Vet Intern Med 20(2): 284-9.

>> PubMed abstract

Winn funded research

Biondo, A. W., E. J. Ehrhart, et al. (2003). "Immunohistochemistry of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides in control cats and cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy." Vet Pathol 40(5): 501-6.

>> PubMed abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library

Read More