Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Survival and risk factors in dogs with early mitral valve disease
By Borgarelli, M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2012·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Survival characteristics and prognostic variables of dogs with preclinical chronic degenerative mitral valve disease attributable to myxomatous degeneration.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 256 dogs with early signs of heart disease, specifically preclinical myxomatous mitral valve degeneration (MMVD), was studied to understand how long they might live and what factors could affect their health. Over the observation period, about 27% of the dogs passed away, with an average survival time of about 588 days. Key findings showed that dogs with a heart murmur or those that developed a cough were at a higher risk of worsening heart issues. Regular check-ups and monitoring for these symptoms can help veterinarians decide on the best treatment options for dogs with this condition.
People also search for: dog heart murmur prognosis · MMVD in dogs symptoms · dog cough heart disease treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Preclinical myxomatous mitral valve degeneration (MMVD) includes a heterogeneous group of dogs. Therefore, identifying risk factors for progression of the disease is of clinical importance. OBJECTIVES: To investigate survival time and risk factors for clinical and echocardiographic variables taken at initial examination for clinical progression in preclinical MMVD dogs. ANIMALS: A total of 256 dogs with stage B1 or B2 MMVD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of 256 dogs with preclinical MMVD were reviewed retrospectively. Long-term outcome was assessed by telephone interview. Dogs alive at the time of phone interview were asked to return to the hospital for re-evaluation of their cardiac status. RESULTS: Seventy of 256 (27.3%) dogs died during the observation period. The median survival time, regardless of cause of death, was 588 (range 75-1,668) days. The presence of a murmur was associated with an increased risk of death (AHR 2.14; 95% CI 1.12, 4.11; P = 0.022). Thirty (12%) deaths were considered cardiac related. LA/Ao > 1.4 was the only negative predictor (AHR 2.64; 1.13, 6.13; P = 0.024) for cardiac-related deaths. Eighty-three dogs were re-examined, of which 34 progressed to a more advanced stage of MMVD. The presence of Emax > 1.2 (AHR 2.75; 95% CI 1.01, 7.48; P = 0.047) and cough (AHR 7.89; 95% CI 3.18, 20.07; P < 0.001) were significant in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Preclinical MMVD represents a relatively benign condition in dogs. Clinicians might find stratification of this dog population according to risk factors based on clinical and echocardiographic findings helpful in determining treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22211523/