Male sex and murmur intensity ≥3/6 were independent predictors of echocardiographic evidence of cardiac disease, which was present in 66.3% of apparently healthy cats with subclinical murmurs.
Observational (n=163)
What are the clinical characteristics and predictors of echocardiographic cardiac disease in cats with subclinical murmurs?
In cats with subclinical murmurs, cardiac disease is present in 66.3% of cases, mostly mild hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and is independently predicted by male sex and murmur intensity ⩾3/6.
p-value: p=0.01
Objectives The aim of this study was to define the clinical characteristics of cats referred for evaluation of subclinical cardiac murmurs, and, secondarily, to identify predictors of echocardiographic identification of cardiac disease. Methods One hundred and sixty-three apparently healthy cats with subclinical murmurs were retrospectively enrolled. Medical records of cats older than 1 year of age referred for the evaluation of subclinical murmurs were reviewed. Cats were considered healthy if clinical signs of systemic disease or cardiac disease were not reported and cats were not receiving cardiac medications. Logistic regression was used to identify clinical variables that predict echocardiographic identification of cardiac disease. Results One hundred and eight cats (66.3%) had echocardiographic evidence of cardiac disease with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy being the most common (80.5%). Left atrial enlargement was uncommon; in 90% of cats with echocardiographically identified cardiac disease, the left atrial aortic ratio from two-dimensional echocardiography was <1.51. Cats with cardiac disease were more likely to be male ( P = 0.016), weigh more ( P <0.01) and have a murmur of intensity ⩾3/6 ( P = 0.019) than cats without cardiac disease. Murmur intensity ⩾grade 3/6 ( P = 0.01) and male sex ( P = 0.01) were independent predictors of echocardiographic evidence of cardiac disease in multivariable analysis. Conclusions and relevance The majority of cats referred for evaluation of subclinical cardiac murmurs have cardiac disease. Based on left atrial dimensions, cardiac disease is generally mild. Male sex and a loud cardiac murmur are associated with the identification of cardiac disease.
Franchini et al. (Fri,) conducted a observational in Subclinical cardiac murmurs (n=163). Male sex and murmur intensity ≥3/6 vs. Female sex and murmur intensity <3/6 was evaluated on Echocardiographic identification of cardiac disease (p=0.01). Male sex and murmur intensity ≥3/6 were independent predictors of echocardiographic evidence of cardiac disease, which was present in 66.3% of apparently healthy cats with subclinical murmurs.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: