Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood test predicts survival in dogs with mitral valve disease
By Serres, François et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2009·Unité, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide concentration helps to predict survival in dogs with symptomatic degenerative mitral valve disease regardless of and in combination with the initial clinical status at admission.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 74 dogs with heart disease caused by degenerative mitral valve disease (MVD) had their blood tested for a substance called NT-proBNP to help predict their chances of survival. The study found that higher levels of NT-proBNP were linked to worse outcomes, with specific cut-off levels indicating survival chances based on the severity of their condition. For dogs with less severe symptoms, a level above 1265 pmol/L suggested a poorer prognosis, while for those with more severe symptoms, a level above 2700 pmol/L indicated a similar risk. This test could help veterinarians assess heart health and guide treatment decisions for dogs with MVD.
People also search for: dog heart disease prognosis · NT-proBNP test for dogs · degenerative mitral valve disease treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Although mitral valve disease (MVD) is the most common canine heart disease, readily available prognostic markers of the disease are still lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the comparative ability of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide plasma concentration (NT-proBNP) and various echocardiographic variables to predict outcome in dogs with MVD. ANIMALS, MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-four dogs with ISACHC classes 2 and 3 MVD (Groups A and B, respectively) were prospectively recruited. NT-proBNP and several echo-Doppler variables at inclusion were compared as predictors of outcome at 6 months in 54/74 dogs. RESULTS: NT-proBNP was significantly higher in Group B than in Group A (P<0.0001), and was the only tested variable significantly different between survivor and non-survivor dogs in both groups (P<0.05). In the whole canine population, a threshold of 1500 pmol/L could discriminate survivor from non-survivor dogs with a sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 73%, respectively. When combining ISACHC class with NT-proBNP levels, a cut-off of 1265 pmol/L was predictive of survival in Group A, whereas the cut-off was 2700 pmol/L for Group B. CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP is correlated with MVD severity and could be used in combination with clinical status to predict cardiac outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19850546/