Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Survival time and outlook for cats with new diabetes diagnosis
By Callegari, Carolina et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2013·Istituto Veterinario di Novara, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Survival time and prognostic factors in cats with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus: 114 cases (2000-2009).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 114 cats with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus (a condition where the body can't properly use sugar) was studied to understand how long they might live after diagnosis. On average, these cats survived about 516 days, with many living beyond 3, 6, or even 24 months. Cats with higher levels of creatinine (a marker of kidney function) had a shorter survival time, meaning that kidney issues could lead to a worse outcome. Interestingly, having ketoacidosis (a serious complication of diabetes) didn't seem to affect how long the cats lived. Overall, the prognosis for these diabetic cats was fair to good, especially if their kidney function was stable.
People also search for: cat diabetes survival time · high creatinine in cats · ketoacidosis in diabetic cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine overall survival time and identify prognostic factors associated with survival time in cats with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 114 cats with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus. PROCEDURES: Data for analysis included history, signalment, physical examination findings, hematologic and serum biochemical data, presence of ketoacidosis, and diagnosis of concurrent diseases at initial evaluation. The effects of possible predictors on survival time were determined by calculating hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Median survival time of diabetic cats was 516 days (range, 1 to 3,468 days); 70%, 64%, and 46% lived longer than 3, 6, and 24 months, respectively. Survival time was significantly shorter for cats with higher creatinine concentrations, with a hazard of dying approximately 5% greater for each increase of 10 μg/dL in serum creatinine concentration (adjusted HR, 1.005; 95% CI, 1.003 to 1.007). Ketoacidosis was not significantly associated with survival time (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.590 to 1.78). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Cats with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus had a fair to good prognosis. High serum creatinine concentration at diagnosis was associated with a poor outcome, likely because of the adverse effects of renal dysfunction. Ketoacidosis apparently was not associated with decreased survival time, suggesting that this complication should not necessarily be regarded as unfavorable.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23786195/