Evaluation of red blood cell distribution width as a prognostic indicator in cats with acquired heart disease, with and without congestive heart failure

Abstract

Objectives Congestive heart failure secondary to cardiomyopathy is a common manifestation of cardiac disease in cats, carrying a variable prognosis. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the relationship between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and survival time in feline patients with acquired heart disease with and without congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods Three hundred and forty-nine client-owned cats with echocardiograms and complete blood count, including RDW measurement, performed between March 2006 and December 2011, were included in the study. Patient characteristics, including signalment, hematocrit, RDW, echocardiographic parameters and survival, were recorded. Comparisons between RDW in cats with asymptomatic acquired heart disease and those with CHF were made. Survival was documented and compared at 30 days and 6 months. Results CHF was present in 80 cats and absent in 269 cats. Cats with CHF had an increase in mortality compared with cats without CHF at 30 days and 6 months ( P = 0.007 and P = 0.04, respectively). RDW was not significantly associated with survival in cats with or without CHF at 30 days or 6 months. A significant difference was found between median RDW values in cats with CHF vs cats without CHF (16.3% vs 15.8%; P = 0.02). The median RDW value was significantly higher in cats with unclassified cardiomyopathy compared with cats with other types of cardiomyopathy (16.3% vs 15.8%; P = 0.03). Conclusions and relevance Single RDW values did not predict mortality in cats with acquired heart disease but may be useful in determining if cats have decompensated heart disease and CHF. Human studies indicate that incremental increases in serial RDW measurements are associated with decreased survival; serial RDW measurements in cats may be an area of future study.

Red cell distribution width is a predictor of all‐cause mortality in hospitalized dogs

“…15,16 In a study of cats with acquired heart disease, RDW was not associated with survival at 30 days or 6 months. 17 However, in another study evaluating cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy exclusively, increased RDW was shown to be an independent predictor of cardiac death. 18 In dogs with acute trauma, RDW was not found to be significantly different between surviving and nonsurviving animals.…”

Updates on Laboratory Evaluation of Feline Cardiac Diseases

“…Feline RBCs have a shorter life span (70-80 days vs. 120 days human) and contain a greater number of hemoglobin sulfhydryl groups and limited glutathione stores. Thus, it is more predisposed to oxidative stress and possibly leads to a greater variability in normal RDW values with respect to humans [40].…”

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width as a Novel Parameter in Canine Disorders: Literature Review and Future Prospective

“…Similar to the developments in human medicine, some studies investigating the use of RDW as a novel marker have also been recently published in various animal clinical settings. In particular, these studies have been conducted in small animals with cardiovascular disease [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ] and other various disorders [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide the most relevant information on RDW evaluation in the dog.…”