Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood sugar and relapse risks in diabetic cats after remission
By Gottlieb, S et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2015·The Cat Clinic, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Glycemic status and predictors of relapse for diabetic cats in remission.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that many cats who were previously diabetic but are now in remission may still have issues with their blood sugar levels. Out of 21 cats in remission, 76% showed signs of impaired glucose tolerance, which means their bodies had trouble processing sugar. Over a follow-up period of nine months, 30% of these cats needed insulin treatment again due to a relapse. The research suggests that regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is important for these cats to catch any problems early.
People also search for: diabetic cat remission signs · cat blood sugar monitoring · why did my cat's diabetes come back
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is unknown if diabetic cats in remission have persistent abnormalities of glucose metabolism and should be considered prediabetic, or have normal glucose tolerance. OBJECTIVE: To characterize glycemic status of diabetic cats in remission and to determine predictors of relapse. ANIMALS: A total of 21 cats in diabetic remission and 28 healthy control cats. METHODS: At a median of 107 days after remission, screening blood glucose concentration was measured on entry to the clinic. After a 24-hour fast in hospital, fasting blood glucose, fructosamine and feline pancreatic lipase concentrations were measured, and 3 hours later, a simplified IV glucose tolerance test (1 g glucose/kg) performed. Twenty cats were monitored for relapse for at least 9 months. RESULTS: Of the 21 cats in remission, 19% (4/21) had impaired fasting glucose concentration and 76% (16/21) had impaired glucose tolerance. Of cats followed up for 9 months after testing, 30% (6/20) had relapsed and required insulin treatment. Fasting blood glucose concentration ≥ 7.5 mmol/L (≥ 135 mg/dL) (odds ratio [OR] = 12.8) and severely impaired glucose tolerance (≥ 5 hours to return to <6.5 mmol/L or <117 mg/dL; OR = 15.2) were significantly associated with relapse. Blood glucose concentration >14 mmol/L; 252 mg/dL at 3 hours was significantly associated with relapse (OR = 10.1). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Most cats in diabetic remission have impaired glucose tolerance and a minority have impaired fasting glucose concentration and should be considered prediabetic. More severe glucose intolerance and impaired fasting glucose concentration are predictors of relapse. Ongoing glucose monitoring of diabetic cats in remission is recommended.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25418027/