The cause of cystitis in many cats remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not any environmental or behavioural factors, particularly those that could be considered potentially stressful, were associated with feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). The questionnaire-based study involved comparing 31 cats with FIC to 24 cats in the same households that did not have cystitis. They were also compared with a control population of 125 clinically healthy cats. Compared with the live-in controls and the control population, the cats with FIC were significantly more likely to be male, overweight and pedigree. Several stress factors were found to be associated with FIC. The factor that stood out most prominently was living with another cat with which there was conflict. The findings support the hypothesis that stress may be implicated in some cases of FIC.

Phase I of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention was a multicenter, randomized trial of the feasibility and efficacy of seven nonpharmacologic interventions, including sodium reduction, in lowering blood pressure in 30-to 54 -year-old individuals with a diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 89 mm Hg. Six centers tested an intervention designed to reduce dietary sodium to 80 mmol (1800 mg)/24 h with a total of 327 active intervention and 417 control subjects. The intervention consisted of eight group and two one-to-one meetings during the first 3 months, followed by less-intensive counseling and support for the duration of the study. The mean net decrease in sodium excretion was 43.9 mmol/24 h at 18 months. Women had lower sodium intake at baseline and were therefore more likely to decrease to less than 80 mmol/24 h. Black subjects were less likely to decrease to less than 80 mmol/d, independent of sex or baseline sodium excretion. The mean (95% confidence interval) net decrease associated with treatment was -2.1 (-33, -0.8) mm Hg for systolic blood pressure and -1.2 (-2.0, -03) mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure at 18 months (both P<.01). Multivariate analyses indicated a larger systolic blood pressure effect in women (-4.44 versus -1.23 mm Hg in men), adjusted for age, race, baseline blood pressure, and baseline 24-hour urinary sodium excretion (P=.O2). Dose-response analyses indicated an adjusted decrease of -1.4 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure and -0.9 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure for a decrease of 100 mmol/24 h in 18-month sodium excretion. These results support the utility of sodium reduction as a population strategy for hypertension prevention and raise questions about possible differences in dose response associated with gender and initial level of sodium intake. (Hypertension. 1993;22:502-512.) KEY WORDS • hypertension, sodium-dependent • blood pressure • sodium, dietary • primary prevention • blacks • women P rimary prevention of hypertension, ie, preventing people at risk of hypertension from developing it, could potentially lower death rates from cardiovascular disease, reduce the need for antihypertensive medications, and reduce hypertension-related medical costs and job absenteeism.14 However, the A preliminary version of these results was presented at the 64th Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, Anaheim, Calif, November 1991, and the International Heart Health Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 1992.Correspondence to Shiriki Kumanyika, Center for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, PO Box 850, Hershey, PA 17033. feasibility and efficacy of sodium reduction in lowering blood pressure among people with normal blood pressure in the general population have not been clearly established. Several lines of evidence suggest that sodium reduction is a logical candidate for incorporation into a primary prevention strategy. The well-established blood pressure-lowering effect of sodium reduction as a component of hyperte...

Synthetic feline facial pheromone (FFP) (Feliway; Ceva Animal Health) was assessed for the management of cats with recurrent feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). Nine of 12 cats completed the randomised, double-blinded, placebocontrolled, crossover pilot study. They had their environment treated daily with either FFP or placebo for 2 months, after which time the treatment groups were reversed. Owners used visual analogue scales to define the severity of their cat's clinical signs and behavioural changes. Five (56%) of the owners stated that their cat's overall health was better when they were using FFP. Four (44%) of the owners noticed no difference between when using the FFP and when using the placebo. While there were no statistical differences between the two treatment groups there was a trend for the cats exposed to FFP to show fewer days with clinical signs of cystitis (

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