title: Cardiomyopathy prevalence in 780 apparently healthy cats in rehoming centres (the CatScan study).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) appears to be common in cats and, based on pilot data, a prevalence of 15% has been hypothesized. The objectives were to screen a large population of apparently healthy adult cats for cardiac disease, and identify factors associated with a diagnosis of HCM.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1007 apparently healthy cats ≥ 6 months of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective, cross-sectional study, the inclusion criteria were: apparently healthy cats, aged ≥ 6 months, available for rehoming over a 17-month period from two rehoming centres. Hypertensive or hyperthyroid cats were excluded. Body weight, body condition score, auscultation, systolic blood pressure and two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography were evaluated. Cats with left ventricular end-diastolic wall thickness ≥ 6 mm on 2-D echocardiography were considered to have HCM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete data were obtained in 780 cats. Heart murmur prevalence was 40.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 37.3-44.3%), 70.4% of which were considered functional. The prevalence of HCM was 14.7% (95% CI 12.3-17.4%), congenital disease 0.5% (95% CI 0.1-1.3%), and other cardiomyopathies 0.1% (95% CI 0.0-0.7%). The HCM prevalence increased with age. The positive predictive value of a heart murmur for indicating HCM was 17.9-42.6% (higher in old cats), and the negative predictive value was 90.2-100% (higher in young cats). The factors associated with a diagnosis of HCM in binary logistic regression models were male sex, increased age, increased body condition score and a heart murmur (particularly grade III/VI or louder).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is common in apparently healthy cats, in contrast with other cardiomyopathies. Heart murmurs are also common, and are often functional.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jessie Rose
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.affiliation: Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David Charles
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Brodbelt
authors.affiliation: Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom. Electronic address: vluisfuentes@rvc.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Luis Fuentes
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002415:Cats; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Echocardiography; Feline; HCM; Screening; Shelter