Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What predicts diabetes remission in cats after diagnosis
By Zini, E et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2010·Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Predictors of clinical remission in cats with diabetes mellitus.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 90 cats with newly diagnosed diabetes was monitored to see how many could achieve remission, which means they could maintain normal blood sugar levels without insulin for at least four weeks. Half of the cats reached remission, typically within about 48 days, with those that remained alive experiencing remission lasting around 151 days. Factors like being older and having a higher body weight were linked to better chances of remission, while higher cholesterol and blood glucose levels made remission less likely. This information can help veterinarians predict which diabetic cats might do better with treatment.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Clinical remission is frequent in cats with well-controlled diabetes mellitus, but few studies explored predictors of this phenomenon. HYPOTHESIS: Data retrieved from medical records at admission might be valuable to identify likelihood of remission and its duration in diabetic cats. ANIMALS: Ninety cats with newly diagnosed diabetes, followed-up until death or remission. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. Data were collected from records at admission, including history, signalment, physical examination, haematology, and biochemical profile, and the occurrence and duration of remission, defined as normoglycemia without insulin for ≥4 weeks. Predictors of remission were studied with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Factors associated with remission duration were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Forty-five (50%) cats achieved remission, after a median time of 48 days (range: 8-216). By study end, median remission duration was 114 days (range: 30-3,370) in cats that died and 151 days (range: 28-1,180) in alive cats. Remission was more likely with higher age (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.04-1.46; P=.01) and less likely with increased serum cholesterol (OR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.11-0.87; P=.04). Remission was longer with higher body weight (HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.42-0.99; P=.04) and shorter with higher blood glucose (HR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02; P=.02). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Age, body weight, cholesterol, and glucose levels are suggested for prediction of remission or its duration in diabetic cats. Older cats developing diabetes may have a better outcome, possibly suggesting a slower disease progression.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20840299/