Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart strain changes in cats with early hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
By Spalla, Ilaria et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2019·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Speckle tracking echocardiography in cats with preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 73 cats, including 37 with early signs of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), were studied to see how their heart function compared to healthy cats. The cats with HCM showed reduced heart muscle movement, which can be detected through special heart imaging techniques. This means that even before symptoms appear, changes in heart function can indicate HCM. Identifying these changes early is important for managing the condition effectively.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats · cat heart function tests
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have decreased left ventricular (LV) longitudinal deformation detected by mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) and speckle tracking echocardiography. People with preclinical HCM have decreased systolic LV longitudinal and radial strain (S) and strain rate (SR), with preserved circumferential S and SR. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Cats with preclinical HCM have decreased systolic LV deformation compared to normal cats. ANIMALS: Seventy-three client-owned cats with (n = 37) and without (n = 36) preclinical HCM. METHODS: Retrospective echocardiographic study. Left and right ventricular longitudinal S and SR, LV radial and circumferential S and SR were calculated by STE. Left ventricular mass was also calculated. Correlation between STE variables and LV hypertrophy was determined and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for prediction of HCM. RESULTS: Cats with HCM had smaller absolute longitudinal S (-14.8 ± 3.3% vs -19.7 ± 2.7%, P < .001), longitudinal SR (-2.36 ± 0.62 vs -2.95 ± 0.68 second, P < .001), radial S (46.2 ± 21.3% vs 66.7 ± 17.6%, P < .001), and radial SR (5.60 ± 2.08 vs 6.67 ± 1.8 second, P < .001) compared to healthy controls. No difference was observed for circumferential S and SR. Cats with HCM had greater LV mass (13.2 ± 3.7 g vs 8.6 ± 2.7 g, P < .001). The ROC with the greatest area under the curve (AUC) for the identification of HCM (0.974) was plotted from a logistic regression equation combining LV mass, MAPSE at the free wall, and LV internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cats with preclinical HCM have decreased long axis and radial deformation. Decreased longitudinal deformation and decreased LVIDd are factors that would support a diagnosis of HCM.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30993757/