Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart protein levels predict survival in cats with thick heart walls
By Langhorn, R et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2014·Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cardiac troponin I and T as prognostic markers in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 36 cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a heart condition that causes the heart muscle to thicken, were monitored to see how certain blood markers related to their health. Researchers found that higher levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in the blood were linked to a greater risk of death in these cats. Although the presence of myocardial injury (damage to heart muscle) was significant, it was challenging to predict individual outcomes based on these markers. Overall, the study highlighted the importance of monitoring heart health in cats with HCM, but individual predictions remain difficult.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats · cTnT levels in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Myocardial injury detected by cardiac troponin I and T (cTnI and cTnT) in cardiac disease is associated with increased risk of death in humans and dogs. HYPOTHESIS: Presence of myocardial injury predicts long-term death in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and ongoing myocardial injury reflects change in left ventricular wall thickness over time. ANIMALS: Thirty-six cats with primary HCM. METHODS: Prospective cohort study. Cats with HCM were included consecutively and examined every 6 months. Echocardiography, ECG, blood pressure, and serum cTnI and cTnT were evaluated at each visit. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to evaluate prognostic potential of serum troponin concentrations at admission and subsequent examinations. Correlations were used to examine associations between troponin concentrations and cardiac hypertrophy. RESULTS: Troponin concentrations at admission were median [range] 0.14 [0.004-1.02] ng/mL for cTnI, and 13 [13-79.5] ng/L for cTnT. Both were prognostic for death (P = .032 and .026) as were the last available concentrations of each (P = .016 and .003). The final cTnT concentration was a significant predictor of death even when adjusting for the admission concentration (P = .043). In a model containing both markers, only cTnT remained significant (P = .043). Left ventricular free wall thickness at end-diastole (LVFWd) at admission was correlated with cTnI at admission (r = 0.35, P = .035), however no significant correlations (r = 0.2-0.31, P = .074-.26) were found between changes in troponin concentrations and left ventricular thickness over time. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Myocardial injury is part of the pathophysiology leading to disease progression and death. Low sensitivities and specificities prevent outcome prediction in individual cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25056593/