Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs of left heart overload in severely anaemic cats
By Wilson, Helen E et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2010·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Signs of left heart volume overload in severely anaemic cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of severely anemic cats were found to have enlarged hearts, specifically the left atrium, which can indicate heart strain. In a study of 15 cats, all eight with severe anemia showed this enlargement, while only one out of six mildly anemic cats did. The findings suggest that if your cat is severely anemic, it may be at higher risk for heart issues. It's important to discuss these symptoms with your veterinarian, as they can help manage your cat's anemia and monitor heart health.
People also search for: cat anemia symptoms · cat heart enlargement treatment · signs of heart problems in cats
Abstract
Anaemia induces haemodynamic compensatory mechanisms resulting in volume overload and increased left heart dimensions in humans and dogs. The aims of this retrospective study were to investigate the effects of anaemia on echocardiographic left heart dimensions, vertebral heart size (VHS) and radiographic evidence of congestive heart failure (CHF) in cats. Fifteen cats fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were classified as mildly anaemic (haematocrit (Hct)>18-24%) or severely anaemic (Hct≤18%). Eight out of eight severely anaemic cats had left atrial enlargement compared with 1/6 mildly anaemic cats (P<0.005) and severely anaemic cats also had a larger median left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (1.80cm versus 1.27cm, respectively; P<0.05). No difference was found between the groups in VHS or frequency of radiographic signs of CHF. Despite the small sample size, these preliminary findings suggest that severely anaemic cats are more likely to have enlarged left heart dimensions than mildly anaemic cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20829085/