Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Thyroid hormone levels drop with illness severity in cats and predict
By Peterson, Mark E et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2020·Animal Endocrine Clinic, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum thyroxine and thyrotropin concentrations decrease with severity of nonthyroidal illness in cats and predict 30-day survival outcome.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 222 cats with serious illnesses showed lower levels of thyroid hormones compared to healthy cats. As the severity of their illness increased, their thyroid hormone levels continued to drop, which could help predict their chances of survival. Cats that did not survive had significantly lower levels of these hormones. This information suggests that checking thyroid function in cats with severe nonthyroidal illnesses could help veterinarians assess treatment options and outcomes more effectively.
People also search for: cat thyroid problems · low thyroid hormone in sick cats · cat illness survival rates · cat nonthyroidal illness treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In cats, nonthyroidal illness affects serum thyroid hormone concentrations. Serum thyroxine (T) and triiodothyronine (T) concentrations commonly decrease, whereas free T(fT) concentrations vary unpredictably. Limited information exists regarding effects on serum thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH]) concentrations in cats with nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS). OBJECTIVES: To characterize alterations in thyroid function that develop in cats with NTIS and to correlate these alterations with severity and outcome of the nonthyroidal illness. ANIMALS: Two hundred and twenty-two cats with NTIS and 380 clinically normal cats of similar age and sex. METHODS: Prospective, cross-sectional study. All cats had serum T, T, free T, and TSH concentrations measured. Cats were grouped based on illness severity and 30-day survival. RESULTS: Cats with NTIS had lower serum Tand Tconcentrations than did normal cats (P < .001). Serum fTand TSH concentrations did not differ between groups. Serum T, T, and fTconcentrations progressively decreased with increasing disease severity (P < .001). The 56 cats that died had lower T, T, and TSH concentrations than did the 166 survivors, with no difference in fTconcentration. Multivariable logistic regression modeling indicated that serum Tand TSH concentrations both predicted survival (P < .02). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cats with NTIS commonly develop low serum T, T, and TSH concentrations, the prevalence and extent of which increases with disease severity. Clinicians should consider evaluating thyroid function in cats with severe NTIS, because doing so could help determine probability of successful treatment responses before investing considerable time, effort, and finances in addressing the underlying disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33001488/