Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How well 6-lead ECG detects hidden heart thickening in cats
By Gardner, Larissa et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Accuracy of 6-lead electrocardiography in identifying subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study looked at whether a 6-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) could help identify early signs of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats. Researchers tested 112 cats, including 51 with subclinical HCM, and found that while certain ECG readings like higher R wave amplitude and ST segment elevation were linked to HCM, the overall effectiveness of the ECG as a screening tool was low. Specifically, using R wave amplitude alone had only a 65% chance of correctly identifying cats with HCM. This suggests that relying on a 6-lead ECG may not be the best way to catch early heart issues in cats.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats · cat ECG results interpretation
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In people, electrocardiography (ECG) is recommended for screening of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Data for assessing the ability of ECG to screen HCM in apparently healthy cats is scarce. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Determine whether ECG variables on a 6-lead ECG can identify subclinical HCM in cats. ANIMALS: One hundred twelve cats were enrolled, 61 normal and 51 with subclinical HCM. METHODS: Single-center, cross-sectional study. Cats with normal hearts (end-diastolic left ventricular wall thickness [LVWTd] ≤ 5.0 mm) and cats with subclinical HCM (LVWTd ≥ 6.0 mm) were prospectively enrolled. Blinded assessment of the following ECG variables was performed: P wave amplitude and duration, PQ interval duration, amplitude of Q, R, and S waves, QRS duration, dispersion and mean electrical axis, R-to-peak time, T wave amplitude and duration, T/R ratio, T peak-to-end time (Tpte), Tpte/QT, RT concordance, QT interval (absolute and corrected for heart rate), presence of ST segment elevation (STE)/depression, and J wave. RESULTS: On multivariable analysis, a higher R wave amplitude (odds ratio [OR], 20.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4-227.5) and presence of STE ($\ge$0.04 mV; OR, 8.3; 95% CI, 2.9-27.4) were the only variables independently associated with HCM after adjusting for body weight (area under the curve, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78-0.93). An R wave amplitude > 0.26 mV as a sole screening test for HCM had 65% sensitivity and 62% specificity to detect HCM. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Our results suggest that a 6-lead ECG is a poor screening tool to detect subclinical HCM in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41742508/