Over representation of Burmese cats with diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if Burmese cats in Queensland have an increased risk of diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
A retrospective study of diabetic and nondiabetic cats that had blood submitted to a veterinary clinical laboratory over a 22 month study period.


METHODS
4402 cats


METHODS
Cats were considered diabetic if blood glucose concentration was > 11 mmol/L and fructosamine was > 406 mumol/L or hydroxybutyrate was > 1 mmol/L. Cats were grouped into Burmese and non-Burmese. Adjusted odds ratios of diabetes were calculated for breed, gender and age group amongst cats with blood glucose > 11 mmol/L.


RESULTS
Burmese cats comprised 20% of 45 diabetic cats of known breed, which was higher (P < 0.001) than among the normoglycemic reference population of 2203 cats (7% Burmese). There were more females among the diabetic Burmese (62%), but this did not differ (P > 0.05) from the Burmese reference population (45% females). In contrast, males seemed to predominate among diabetic non-Burmese (63%), although this also did not differ (P > 0.05) from the reference population (55%) of from diabetic Burmese (38% males). The majority (90%) of diabetic cats were older than 6 years, irrespective of breed (median age 12 years, interquartile range 10 to 13 years). This was higher (chi(2) = 8.13, P < 0.005) than among the normoglycaemic reference population, where 69% were older than 6 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Burmese cats were significantly over represented among cats with diabetes mellitus. Irrespective of breed, the risk of diabetes in the study population increased with age.
Rand
J S
JS
School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, South Australia.
Bobbermien
L M
LM
Hendrikz
J K
JK
Copland
M
M
D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001947:Breeding; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D002415:Cats; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D019270:Fructosamine / Q000097:blood; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000097:blood; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D019270:Fructosamine