Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How gabapentin affects blood pressure in healthy cats at home
By De Lombaert, Mélissa Cm et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2023·Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of gabapentin on ambulatory, direct, systemic arterial blood pressure in apparently healthy cats in the at-home and in-clinic environments.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of healthy adult cats was given gabapentin, a medication often used for pain relief and anxiety, to see if it would help lower their blood pressure during vet visits. The study found that while the cats' blood pressure did increase when they were at the clinic compared to their home environment, gabapentin did not significantly change this effect. Both the treated and untreated cats showed similar blood pressure levels, suggesting that the stress of being at the vet may cause temporary increases in blood pressure regardless of the medication.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Situational increases in blood pressure (BP) frequently confound the accurate diagnosis of pathological systemic hypertension in cats. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of gabapentin on direct, ambulatory systolic arterial BP (SBP) in cats in at-home and in-clinic environments. METHODS: Six adult purpose-bred cats with surgically implanted femoral artery telemetric BP-sensing catheters were administered 100 mg of gabapentin or a placebo orally in two randomized, masked, crossover study phases. In the first, direct BP was measured continuously in undisturbed cats for 24 h before (at-home baseline) and 4 h after administration of study drug. The mean SBP after administration of the drug was compared between treatments. In the second study period, cats were administered gabapentin or placebo 90 mins before transport to a clinic, where direct BP was measured continuously during a simulated veterinary visit that included an indirect BP measurement session. Changes in mean direct SBP relative to the 24-h at-home pre-treatment period were calculated for each of one waiting room and two examination-room periods, and compared between treatments. Concurrent in-clinic direct and indirect SBP measurements were compared within-cat. Data were compared using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Direct SBP data from one cat were excluded due to implant failure. There were no differences in at-home or in-clinic SBP between treatment groups, with large inter-individual variability. Cats in both treatment groups experienced in-clinic increases in direct SBP relative to at-home baseline (range 11-50 and 10-52 mmHg in placebo- and gabapentin-treated cats, respectively). Across all visits, direct SBP was 15.6 mmHg higher than indirect SBP (<0.001). No effects of treatment on difference between direct and indirect SBP were identified. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Significant effects of gabapentin on direct SBP were not identified, though a type II error is possible. Situational increases cannot be excluded in gabapentin-treated cats with high SBP.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37594245/