Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Body size linked to heart thickening and metabolism in adult cats
By Freeman, L M et al.Ā·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicineĀ·2015Ā·Department of Clinical Sciences, United StatesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research ā every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work ā
Original publication title: Relationship of body size to metabolic markers and left ventricular hypertrophy in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 28 neutered adult cats, averaging about 5 years old, were examined for heart issues related to their size. Half of the cats showed signs of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), a condition where the heart's left ventricle becomes enlarged, which can lead to serious health problems. The study found that larger body size and higher levels of a growth factor called IGF-1 were linked to these heart changes. While the cats were not treated in this study, the findings suggest that monitoring body size and growth factors could be important for early detection of heart issues in cats.
People also search for: cat heart problems symptoms Ā· hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats Ā· cat growth factor IGF-1 levels
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are larger and have higher insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations than cats without HCM. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess echocardiographic findings in a colony of adult cats to determine the relationship between early growth and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). ANIMALS: Twenty-eight neutered adult cats (20 males, 8 females) from a colony ≥ 3 years of age for which growth curves were available. METHODS: Case-control study. Physical examination and echocardiography were performed, and body weight, body condition score (BCS), and head length and width were measured. Circulating glucose, insulin, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and IGF-1 concentrations were measured and growth data were collected. Stepwise multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Mean age was 5.2 ± 1.1 years. Current BCSs ranged from 4 to 9 (median, 6) and mean body weight was 4.88 ± 1.29 kg. Variation in body weight was apparent by 6 (mean = 3.26 ± 0.80 kg) and 12 months of age (mean = 4.02 ± 1.02 kg). Cardiac abnormalities included a cardiac murmur (n = 7; 24%), gallop (n = 3; 10%), and arrhythmia (n = 1; 4%). Fourteen of 28 cats (50%) had echocardiographic evidence of LVH. Head width (P = .017), body weight (P < .001), NT-proBNP (P = .023), and IGF-1 (P = .013-.022) were significantly associated with selected measures of LVH. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Potential associations between body size, IGF-1, LVH, and HCM warrant future prospective studies.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25411091/