Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart size growth predicts heart failure in Cavalier King Charles
By Lord, P F et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2011·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Radiographic heart size and its rate of increase as tests for onset of congestive heart failure in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with mitral valve regurgitation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 94 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with mitral valve regurgitation (a heart condition) were monitored to see how heart size changes could predict congestive heart failure (CHF). Researchers found that measuring the heart size and how quickly it increases can help identify when a dog is likely to develop CHF, sometimes up to a year in advance. The study showed that specific measurements were very accurate in predicting the onset of CHF. This information can help veterinarians monitor affected dogs and take action before serious heart problems develop.
People also search for: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel heart problems · mitral valve regurgitation in dogs · how to prevent congestive heart failure in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In canine mitral regurgitation (MR) the rate of heart enlargement increases in the last year before congestive heart failure (CHF). Measurement of heart size and its rate of increase may be useful tests for CHF in MR. OBJECTIVES: To determine the value of vertebral heart scale (VHS) and its rate of increase (∆VHS units/month) for diagnosing the presence and predicting the onset of CHF. ANIMALS: Longitudinal study of 94 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS). METHODS: VHS was measured at intervals before CHF. ∆VHS/month was calculated from sequential pairs of VHS measurements and the interval between them. Diagnostic accuracy and utility were determined by the areas under receiver operating characteristic plots (AUROC), and likelihood ratios (LR). RESULTS: AUROC for VHS at the onset of CHF was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.96-0.90), to predict CHF 1-12 months before CHF was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.81-0.66), and for ∆VHS/month at CHF was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.99-0.96). Interval LRs and their cutoff values for CHF were for VHS: 13 (95% CI, 20-7.3) at ≥12.7; 1.2 (95% CI, 2.0-0.68) between 12.7 and 12.0; 0.04 (95% CI, 0.18-0.01) at ≤12.0, and for ∆VHS/month: 15 (95% CI, 30-7.7) at ≥0.08; 0.72 (95% CI, 2.0-0.25) between 0.08 and 0.06; and 0.05 (95% CI, 0.13-0.02) at ≤0.06. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Under the conditions of this study, VHS and particularly ∆VHS/month are useful measurements for detecting onset of CHF in CKCS with MR.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22092622/