Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cats with heart failure and pleural effusion have lower risk of blood
By Busato, Francesca et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2022·San Marco Veterinary Clinic, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Reduced risk of arterial thromboembolism in cats with pleural effusion due to congestive heart failure.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that cats with heart disease and fluid in their chest (pleural effusion) have a lower risk of developing blood clots (arterial thromboembolism) compared to those with heart disease but without this fluid buildup. Out of 366 cats with heart issues, only 6.6% of those with pleural effusion experienced blood clots, while the rate was higher in other groups. This suggests that while fluid buildup in the chest is a serious condition, it may actually protect against certain complications like blood clots. It's important for cat owners to monitor their pets' heart health and discuss any symptoms with their veterinarian.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · pleural effusion in cats treatment · cat blood clot prevention
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine whether cardiogenic pleural effusion in cats is associated with a lower risk of arterial thromboembolism (ATE) compared with cats with cardiac disease without evidence of pleural effusion. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on owned cats with natural occurring cardiac diseases. Cats included were classified in three groups: those with cardiac disease but no evidence of congestive heart failure (CHF); those with evidence of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema; and those with evidence of cardiogenic pleural effusion. Prevalence of ATE was calculated and the variables analysed for an association with this outcome were the presence and type of CHF, sex and neuter status, age, breed, type of cardiac diseases and left atrial (LA) dimension. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to fit the association between ATE and these variables. RESULTS: A total of 366 cats with cardiac disease met the inclusion criteria: 179 were included in the group with cardiac disease but no evidence of CHF, 66 in the group with evidence of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema and 121 in the group with evidence of cardiogenic pleural effusion. Prevalence of ATE (58/366 [15.8%]) was significantly different among groups (with no evidence of CHF, 28/179 [15.6%]; with evidence of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, 22/66 [33.3%]; with evidence of cardiogenic pleural effusion, 8/121 [6.6%];<0.001). Cats with ATE had a significantly higher LA to aortic root ratio (2.30 ± 0.46) than those without ATE (2.04 ± 0.46;<0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that the group with evidence of cardiogenic pleural effusion was associated with a lower risk of developing ATE compared with groups with cardiac disease but no evidence of CHF and with evidence of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema ( = 0.005 and<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Presence of cardiogenic pleural effusion is associated with a lower risk of developing ATE, while LA enlargement is a risk factor for ATE.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35549930/