A total of 780 cats in rehoming centers enrolled in a screening program for heart murmurs and cardiac disease 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.
Median (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.
The 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.
Source: Payne, J.R., Brodbelt, D.C. and Luis Fuentes, V. (2017), Blood Pressure Measurements in 780 Apparently Healthy Cats. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 31: 15–21. doi: 10.1111/jvim.14625
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