Blood Pressure Measurements in 780 Apparently Healthy Cats

Abstract

BackgroundMean systolic blood pressure in apparently healthy cats has been reported as approximately 125 mmHg using direct assessment, but there is greater variability in reported values using indirect assessment. Increasing age and the white‐coat effect are associated with increased systolic blood pressure.Hypothesis/ObjectivesTo report Doppler‐derived blood pressure measurements from a large population of apparently healthy cats and to assess epidemiologic factors associated with recorded blood pressures.AnimalsA total of 780 cats in rehoming centers enrolled in a screening program for heart murmurs and cardiac disease.MethodsCats were considered healthy based on history and physical examination. Cats with known hypertension, hyperthyroidism, or clinical signs of systemic disease and pregnant or nursing queens were excluded. After an acclimatization period, systolic blood pressure was measured using the Doppler sphygmomanometry method following the recommendations of the ACVIM Consensus Statement. General linear model analysis was performed to identify factors associated with variation in systolic blood pressure.ResultsMedian (interquartile range, IQR) systolic blood pressure for the group was 120.6 (110.4–132.4) mmHg. Factors significantly associated with higher systolic blood pressure in a general linear model were increased age, increased nervousness, male sex, neutering, or history of being a stray. The model explained 29.2% of the variation in systolic blood pressure.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThe age, demeanor, sex, neuter status and history of being a stray should be taken into account when assessing systolic blood pressure in apparently healthy cats.

ACVIM consensus statement: Guidelines for the identification, evaluation, and management of systemic hypertension in dogs and cats

“…The panel recognizes the need for breed‐specific BP ranges to be developed. In cats, no effect of breed has been observed on BP …”

“…The relationship between obesity and higher BP in dogs may be related to the prevalence of underlying disease . In cats, no effect of obesity on BP was observed by oscillometry, but cats that were underweight had slightly lower BP when measured with Doppler than those that were of ideal body weight or obese . Recent studies suggested no association among body condition score, body weight, and SBP measurements in dogs or cats, but muscle condition score and sarcopenia have been reported to affect radial but not coccygeal BP measurements in the cat …”

“…Most cats evaluated by veterinarians are neutered and in most studies an effect of sex has not been evident in this species . In a recent large study, males had higher BP than females and neutered cats had higher BP than intact animals, but the differences were very small …”

“…More recently, a larger study identified an increase in BP over time in cats aged >9 years of age with repeated BP measurements, but the risk of developing hypertension was lower in apparently healthy cats than in those with azotemic chronic kidney disease (CKD) . A large cross‐sectional study also has identified an increase in BP with age in apparently healthy cats, but the cats were not screened for concurrent disease.…”

Prevalence of heart disease in a population of domestic cats in Poland: A retrospective study

“…Therefore, it is difficult to clearly classify such cases as RCM or UCM. The group of hypertensive cats included individuals with primary or secondary hypertension (4,12). Secondary hypertension was usually related to renal failure, less often to hyperthyroidism.…”