title: Relationship of body size to metabolic markers and left ventricular hypertrophy in cats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are larger and have higher insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations than cats without HCM.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess echocardiographic findings in a colony of adult cats to determine the relationship between early growth and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight neutered adult cats (20 males, 8 females) from a colony ≥ 3 years of age for which growth curves were available.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study. Physical examination and echocardiography were performed, and body weight, body condition score (BCS), and head length and width were measured. Circulating glucose, insulin, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and IGF-1 concentrations were measured and growth data were collected. Stepwise multivariate analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 5.2 ± 1.1 years. Current BCSs ranged from 4 to 9 (median, 6) and mean body weight was 4.88 ± 1.29 kg. Variation in body weight was apparent by 6 (mean = 3.26 ± 0.80 kg) and 12 months of age (mean = 4.02 ± 1.02 kg). Cardiac abnormalities included a cardiac murmur (n = 7; 24%), gallop (n = 3; 10%), and arrhythmia (n = 1; 4%). Fourteen of 28 cats (50%) had echocardiographic evidence of LVH. Head width (P = .017), body weight (P < .001), NT-proBNP (P = .023), and IGF-1 (P = .013-.022) were significantly associated with selected measures of LVH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Potential associations between body size, IGF-1, LVH, and HCM warrant future prospective studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rush
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feugier
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van Hoek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Cardiomyopathy; Feline; Growth; Insulin-like growth factor-1; Nutrition