Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart monitoring in cats with silent hypertrophic heart disease
By Hanås, Sofia et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2017·1 Evidensia Djurkliniken Vä·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ambulatory electrocardiogram recordings in cats with primary asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 15 cats with asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a heart condition, underwent 24-hour heart monitoring at home to check their heart rate and rhythm. The results showed that these cats had a normal heart rhythm, with a median heart rate of 145 beats per minute, and only a few had extra heartbeats. Interestingly, 60% of the cats experienced a temporary irregular heartbeat called sinus arrhythmia. Overall, their heart activity was similar to that of healthy cats, suggesting that even with HCM, many cats may not show significant heart issues.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats · cat heart monitoring at home
Abstract
Objectives The aims of the study were to determine the heart rate, rhythm, number of ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) and atrial premature complexes (APCs) in unsedated cats with asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), using 24 h ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) (Holter) in the home environment and to compare the results with those from healthy control cats. Methods Fifteen privately owned cats with asymptomatic HCM entered the study. Data from 23 healthy cats, previously published by our group, were used as the control. Clinical examination, measurement of blood pressure, echocardiographic examination, Holter recordings and biochemical analyses were performed in all cats. Holter recordings were obtained in the home environment. Results Three-lead ECGs of good quality were obtained from 15 cats with HCM. The median heart rate was 145 (interquartile range [IQR] 137-184) beats per minute for the cats with HCM. All cats with HCM presented with normal sinus rhythm; 60% of cats had intermittent sinus arrhythmia. Median number of VPCs was 3 (IQR 1-17). Three cats had APCs and three cats had both escape beats and intermittent sinus arrhythmia. Conclusions and relevance Asymptomatic cats with HCM had few VPCs and APCs on 24 h ambulatory ECG in the home environment. Intermittent sinus arrhythmia was observed in 60% of cats with HCM. The present study shows that the heart rate and the number of VPCs and APCs in cats with asymptomatic HCM are similar to that found in healthy control cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26620648/