Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Body weight and survival in cats with heart failure
By Finn, E et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2010·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The relationship between body weight, body condition, and survival in cats with heart failure.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study involving 101 cats with heart failure found that body weight can affect survival times. Cats that were either very underweight or overweight had shorter survival compared to those with a healthy weight. The average survival time for these cats was about 93 days, but those in the middle weight range fared better. This suggests that maintaining a healthy weight could be important for cats with heart problems. If your cat has heart failure, discussing their weight and body condition with your veterinarian may help improve their care.
People also search for: cat heart failure survival · cat weight management heart problems · why is my cat losing weight
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Obese people with heart failure have improved survival compared with their normal or underweight counterparts. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between body weight or body condition and survival in cats with heart failure. HYPOTHESIS: Body weight and body condition score (BCS) are predictors of survival in cats with heart failure. ANIMALS: One-hundred and one cats with heart failure (International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council Classes II, IIIa, or IIIb) evaluated between March 2007 and June 2009. METHODS: Data regarding initial body weight and BCS, subsequent changes in body weight, and treatment were collected from records and compared with survival times. RESULTS: Median initial body weight was 5.1 kg (range, 2.2-9.5 kg). Median BCS was 5 (range, 3-9). Of the 68 cats that were discharged from the hospital, median body weight change was 0.0 kg (range, -2.6 to +2.3 kg). Survival time for all 101 cats was 93 days (0-811 days). Survival could be predicted using a model combining initial body weight (P=.02), body weight squared (P=.02), and survival to discharge (P<.001) with a resulting global P value for this model of P<.0001. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cats with the lowest and highest body weights had reduced survival times compared with those with body weights in the intermediate ranges, suggesting a U-shaped relationship between body weight and survival. Additional research into the effects of body composition could help to determine optimal management of cats with heart failure.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20738769/