Blood pressure assessment in healthy cats and cats with hypertensive retinopathy.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether there was an association between hypertensive retinopathy and high systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures in cats.

ANIMALS

181 cats.

PROCEDURE

Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures were measured by use of a noninvasive oscillometric technique. The range of blood pressure measurements in healthy cats from various age groups was determined. Associations among systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure; hypertensive retinopathy; hyperthyroidism; left ventricular cardiac hypertrophy; chronic renal failure; and serum biochemical abnormalities were determined.

RESULTS

All blood pressure measurements increased with age in healthy cats. The frequency of hypertensive retinopathy also increased with age and with blood pressure, and hypertensive retinopathy was particularly found in cats with systolic blood pressures > 168 mm Hg. There was an increased risk for hypertensive retinopathy in cats that were female, > 10 years old, and neutered. The risk of chronic renal failure also increased as blood pressure, particularly systolic blood pressure, increased.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Hypertensive retinopathy was common in cats > or = 10 years of age and was associated with systolic blood pressures > 168 mm Hg when measured by the noninvasive oscillometric technique.