Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Body size affects blood markers in dogs, not mitral valve leaks
By Pedersen, L G et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2006·Department of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Body size, but neither age nor asymptomatic mitral regurgitation, influences plasma concentrations of dimethylarginines in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with varying degrees of mitral regurgitation (a heart valve issue) was tested to see if they had higher levels of a substance called asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in their blood, which can indicate heart problems. While the dogs had heart murmurs, they didn't show any other signs of heart disease. The study found that body weight influenced ADMA levels, but the severity of mitral regurgitation did not. Overall, the ADMA levels in these dogs were significantly higher than what is typically seen in healthy humans.
People also search for: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel heart murmur · mitral regurgitation in dogs · high ADMA levels in dogs
Abstract
Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a marker of various cardiovascular diseases in man. The aim of the present study was to test if Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) with varying degrees of mitral regurgitation (MR) had increased plasma concentration of ADMA and furthermore, characterize the plasma level of ADMA and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) in normal dogs. Seventy-six dogs were included (44 CKCS and 32 dogs of other breeds). The CKCS had various degrees of MR, whereas the remaining dogs had either no or minimal MR. Apart from cardiac murmurs, no dogs showed signs of cardiac or systematic disease. The degree of MR had no significant influence on ADMA (P = 0.33). Body weight was directly associated with ADMA (P = 0.0004) and creatinine was directly associated with SDMA (P<0.0001). Furthermore, the plasma concentration of ADMA was three to four times higher than found in healthy humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16182327/