title: Predictors of Sudden Cardiac Death in Doberman Pinschers with Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Doberman Pinschers with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are at high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Risk factors for SCD are poorly defined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess cardiac biomarkers, Holter-ECG, echocardiographic variables and canine characteristics in a group of Doberman Pinschers with DCM dying of SCD and in a DCM control group to identify factors predicting SCD.
  A longitudinal prospective study was performed in 95 Doberman Pinschers with DCM. Forty-one dogs died within 3 months after the last cardiac examination (SCD-group) and were compared to 54 Doberman Pinschers with DCM surviving 1 year after inclusion. Holter-ECG, echocardiography, measurement of N-terminal prohormone of brain-natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) concentrations were recorded for all dogs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Volume overload of the left ventricle (left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV/BSA) > 91.3 mL/m²) was the single best variable to predict SCD. The probability of SCD increases 8.5-fold (CI0.95  = 0.8-35.3) for every 50 mL/m²-unit increment in LVEDV/BSA. Ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV/BSA) and NT-proBNP were highly correlated with LVEDV/BSA (r = -0.63, 0.96, 0.86, respectively). Generated conditional inference trees (CTREEs) revealed that the presence of ventricular tachycardia (VT), increased concentration of cTnI, and the fastest rate (FR) of ventricular premature complexes (VPC) ≥260 beats per minute (bpm) are additional important variables to predict SCD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conditional inference trees provided in this study might be useful for risk assessment of SCD in Doberman Pinschers with DCM.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, LMU University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klüser
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, LMU University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Holler
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, LMU University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simak
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, LMU University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tater
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, LMU University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smets
authors.affiliation: Statistical Consulting Unit, LMU University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rügamer
authors.affiliation: Statistical Consulting Unit, LMU University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Küchenhoff
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, LMU University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wess
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000662:veterinary; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D019210:Troponin I; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
keywords: 24-hour ECG; Biomarker; DCM; Doberman Cardiomyopathy; Echocardiography; Electrocardiography; NT-proBNP; Survival; cTnI