Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Jun;18(6):501-9.
doi: 10.1177/1098612X15588797. Epub 2015 Jun 9.

Survival in cats with primary and secondary cardiomyopathies

Ilaria Spalla  1 , Chiara Locatelli  2 , Giulia Riscazzi  2 , Sara Santagostino  3 , Elena Cremaschi  2 , Paola Brambilla  2
Affiliations

Survival in cats with primary and secondary cardiomyopathies

Ilaria Spalla et al. J Feline Med Surg. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: Feline cardiomyopathies (CMs) represent a heterogeneous group of myocardial diseases. The most common CM is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), followed by restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). Studies comparing survival and outcome for different types of CM are scant. Furthermore, little is known about the cardiovascular consequences of systemic diseases on survival. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare survival and prognostic factors in cats affected by HCM, RCM or secondary CM referred to our institution over a 10 year period.

Methods: The study included 94 cats with complete case records and echocardiographic examination. Fifty cats presented HCM, 14 RCM and 30 secondary CM.

Results: A statistically significant difference in survival time was identified for cats with HCM (median survival time of 865 days), RCM (273 days) and secondary CM (<50% cardiac death rate). In the overall population and in the primary CM group (HCM + RCM), risk factors in the multivariate analysis, regardless of the CM considered, were the presence of clinical signs, an increased left atrial to aortic root (LA/Ao) ratio and a hypercoagulable state.

Conclusions and relevance: Primary CMs in cats share some common features (ie, LA dimension and hypercoagulable state) linked to feline cardiovascular physiology, which influence survival greatly in end-stage CM. The presence of clinical signs has to be regarded as a marker of disease severity, regardless of the underlying CM. Secondary CMs are more benign conditions, but if the primary disease is not properly managed, the prognosis might also be poor in this group of patients.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors do not have any potential conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Kaplan–Meier survival curves in the overall population regarding type of cardiomyopathy, presence of clinical signs, left atrial to aortic root (LA/Ao) ratio and echocardiographic signs of a hypercoagulable state; a different survival time was identified in every category, as depicted. In the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) group, a different survival time was observed depending on the echocardiographic pattern of hypertrophy. Log-rank P value is shown in each graph. CM = cardiomyopathy; IVS = interventricular septum; LVFW = left ventricular free wall
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Elliot P, Andersson B, Arbustini E, et al.. Classification of the cardiomyopathies: a position statement from the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases. Eur Heart J 2006; 29: 270–276. - PubMed
    1. Ferasin L. Feline myocardial disease part 1: classification, pathophysiology and clinical presentation. J Feline Med Surg 2009; 11: 3–13. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ferasin L, Sturgess CP, Cannon MJ. Feline idiopathic cardiomyopathy: a retrospective study of 106 cats (1994–2001). J Feline Med Surg 2003; 5: 151–159. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Coté E, Macdonald K, Meurs K, et al.. Feline cardiology. 1st ed. Somerset, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.
    1. Boon J. Veterinary echocardiography. 2nd ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, pp 37–255.