Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are L waves in dogs with atrial fibrillation and what do
By Romito, Giovanni et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2023·Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence and prognostic role of L wave and selected clinical and echocardiographic variables in dogs with atrial fibrillation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at 55 dogs with atrial fibrillation (AF) related to heart issues like myxomatous mitral valve disease or dilated cardiomyopathy. While 60% of these dogs showed L waves on their heart tests, this did not affect their health outcomes. However, the size of the left ventricle and the heart rate during echocardiograms were found to be important indicators of the risk of heart-related death and overall mortality. This means that monitoring these factors could help veterinarians predict how well a dog with AF might do over time.
People also search for: dog atrial fibrillation treatment · heart problems in dogs · dog heart rate and prognosis · myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Information regarding the frequency of L waves and their prognostic relevance in dogs with secondary atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To determine whether L waves occur and ascertain their prognostic role, as well as the role of other clinical and echocardiographic variables in dogs with AF. ANIMALS: Fifty-five dogs with AF associated with myxomatous mitral valve disease or dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS: Retrospective, multicenter observational study. In addition to L waves analysis, other clinical and echocardiographic variables, including type of antiarrhythmic treatment, were evaluated. A survival analysis was performed to test for predictors of cardiac death and all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: L waves were evident in 33/55 dogs (60%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 47%-72%) but their presence did not influence outcome. Increased left ventricular end-systolic diameter normalized for body weight (LVSDn) was a significant predictor of both cardiac death (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.41, 95% CI = 1.18-16.54; P = .03) and all-cause mortality (HR = 9.39, 95% CI = 2.49-35.32; P < .001). Heart rate assessed during echocardiography (Echo-HR) represented an additional significant predictor of cardiac death (HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 1.00-1.01; P = .04) and all-cause mortality (HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 1.00-1.01; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: L waves occurred frequently in dogs with AF, but held no prognostic relevance. Conversely, LVSDn and Echo-HR represented independent predictors of negative outcome in these animals.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36480559/