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Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus in Cats
A D VA N C E S
INCIDENCE OF DIABETES MELLITUS IN CATS Background The reported incidence of feline diabetes mellitus in the United States has increased over the past 30 years approximately 10fold. The incidence in the last 10 years has been reported to be about 1 in 100. The incidence of feline diabetes in the United Kingdom is unknown.
Objectives To determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in an insured population of cats and to identify possible risk factors for diabetes mellitus in cats.
Procedure Information on the incidence of diabetes mellitus was gathered from records of cats insured with Pet Project in the United Kingdom. A questionnaire was also sent to cat owners who receive the Feline Advisory Bureau Journal and was evaluated for diabetic risk factors in cats.
Results Among an insured population of 14,030 cats, 61 were diabetic, which is an incidence of 1 in 230 (0.43%). Burmese cats were significantly more likely (3.7 times) to be diabetic than domestic shorthair or longhair cats. Approximately 2,000 questionnaires were sent to cat owners, and 249 questionnaires were returned with information about 761 cats. The number of cats per owner ranging from 1 (24% of owners)
to 18 (6% of households with more than 5 cats). Of these 761 cats, 45 had diabetes mellitus, giving a frequency of occurrence of 5.9%. There was a highly significant negative correlation between the occurrence of diabetes mellitus and the number of cats in a household. Being male, neutered, inactive, weighing more than 5 kg, and having a history of corticosteroid treatment were significant risk factors for the development of diabetes mellitus in these cats. However, there was no difference in diabetes mellitus occurrence between male and female Burmese cats. Male cats treated with megestrol acetate had a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus compared to females. Gender was the most important overall risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus, with low physical activity being the second most important risk factor for female cats, and breed the second most important for male cats.
Author Conclusion The incidence of diabetes mellitus in insured cats in the United Kingdom is 1 in 230, with Burmese cats being at increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus (1 in 57). Male gender (except in Burmese cats), neutered status, and inactivity are important possible risk factors for the development of diabetes mellitus. This model shows that the importance of the potential risk factors is different for male and female cats. Inactivity is an important risk in females, and corticosteroid and megestrol acetate administration are significant risks to males.
Inclusions Two figures, 2 tables, 30 references.
Editor Annotation Epidemiological studies are difficult to perform but can provide extensive amounts of information about the disorder of interest. Population studies can tease out information about the target disorder that might be difficult or impossible to discern by examination of individual patients. Such studies can inform us about the occurrence of a particular disorder in the target population and examine changes over time. From the perspective of disease research, a valuable outcome of a welldesigned epidemiologic study is the ability to identify specific features (e.g., environmental, genetic, or clinical factors) as
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suitable candidates for focused basic and clinical examination. Previous studies from the U.S. and Australia have shown similar risk factors and roughly equivalent overall diabetes prevalence in the feline populations examined. This study’s results show that the prevalence of diabetes in a population of insured cats in the U.K. is less than previously reported prevalence levels, and identified risk factors exist among cats in the U.K. that were not identified in other populations examined. Australian studies have consistently found a high risk for diabetes among Burmese cats, which has not been recognized in U.S. studies. This U.K. study affirms the increased diabetes risk for Burmese cats, and further report that risk factors this breed differ from those known for the general population. Although the reasons for the breed’s diabetes susceptibility remain unknown, one intriguing conclusion that might be drawn from the epidemiological observations is that the increased prevalence and distinct pattern of risk factors reflects a unique natural history of diabetes in Burmese. While there are numerous reasons (including statistical glitches) that might account for the observed data, the observations strengthen the hypothesis offered by others that diabetes has a strong genetic basis in Burmese cats. Further, it supports the idea that the clinical disorder we recognize as feline diabetes is a heterogenous disorder that may have several etiologies. While this study by McCann and colleagues provides useful information about the epidemiology of feline diabetes, it is also a good example of how epidemiological data might inform future directions of veterinary disease research. (TS) McCann TM, Simpson KE, Shaw DJ, et al. Feline diabetes mellitus in the UK: the prevalence within an insured cat population and a questionnaire-based putative risk factor analysis. J Feline Med Surg 2007;9:289-299.
INCIDENCE OF DIABETES MELLITUS IN CATS Background The reported incidence of feline diabetes mellitus in the United States has increased over the past 30 years approximately 10fold. The incidence in the last 10 years has been reported to be about 1 in 100. The incidence of feline diabetes in the United Kingdom is unknown.
Objectives To determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in an insured population of cats and to identify possible risk factors for diabetes mellitus in cats.
Procedure Information on the incidence of diabetes mellitus was gathered from records of cats insured with Pet Project in the United Kingdom. A questionnaire was also sent to cat owners who receive the Feline Advisory Bureau Journal and was evaluated for diabetic risk factors in cats.
Results Among an insured population of 14,030 cats, 61 were diabetic, which is an incidence of 1 in 230 (0.43%). Burmese cats were significantly more likely (3.7 times) to be diabetic than domestic shorthair or longhair cats. Approximately 2,000 questionnaires were sent to cat owners, and 249 questionnaires were returned with information about 761 cats. The number of cats per owner ranging from 1 (24% of owners)
to 18 (6% of households with more than 5 cats). Of these 761 cats, 45 had diabetes mellitus, giving a frequency of occurrence of 5.9%. There was a highly significant negative correlation between the occurrence of diabetes mellitus and the number of cats in a household. Being male, neutered, inactive, weighing more than 5 kg, and having a history of corticosteroid treatment were significant risk factors for the development of diabetes mellitus in these cats. However, there was no difference in diabetes mellitus occurrence between male and female Burmese cats. Male cats treated with megestrol acetate had a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus compared to females. Gender was the most important overall risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus, with low physical activity being the second most important risk factor for female cats, and breed the second most important for male cats.
Author Conclusion The incidence of diabetes mellitus in insured cats in the United Kingdom is 1 in 230, with Burmese cats being at increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus (1 in 57). Male gender (except in Burmese cats), neutered status, and inactivity are important possible risk factors for the development of diabetes mellitus. This model shows that the importance of the potential risk factors is different for male and female cats. Inactivity is an important risk in females, and corticosteroid and megestrol acetate administration are significant risks to males.
Inclusions Two figures, 2 tables, 30 references.
Editor Annotation Epidemiological studies are difficult to perform but can provide extensive amounts of information about the disorder of interest. Population studies can tease out information about the target disorder that might be difficult or impossible to discern by examination of individual patients. Such studies can inform us about the occurrence of a particular disorder in the target population and examine changes over time. From the perspective of disease research, a valuable outcome of a welldesigned epidemiologic study is the ability to identify specific features (e.g., environmental, genetic, or clinical factors) as
PAG E 5
suitable candidates for focused basic and clinical examination. Previous studies from the U.S. and Australia have shown similar risk factors and roughly equivalent overall diabetes prevalence in the feline populations examined. This study’s results show that the prevalence of diabetes in a population of insured cats in the U.K. is less than previously reported prevalence levels, and identified risk factors exist among cats in the U.K. that were not identified in other populations examined. Australian studies have consistently found a high risk for diabetes among Burmese cats, which has not been recognized in U.S. studies. This U.K. study affirms the increased diabetes risk for Burmese cats, and further report that risk factors this breed differ from those known for the general population. Although the reasons for the breed’s diabetes susceptibility remain unknown, one intriguing conclusion that might be drawn from the epidemiological observations is that the increased prevalence and distinct pattern of risk factors reflects a unique natural history of diabetes in Burmese. While there are numerous reasons (including statistical glitches) that might account for the observed data, the observations strengthen the hypothesis offered by others that diabetes has a strong genetic basis in Burmese cats. Further, it supports the idea that the clinical disorder we recognize as feline diabetes is a heterogenous disorder that may have several etiologies. While this study by McCann and colleagues provides useful information about the epidemiology of feline diabetes, it is also a good example of how epidemiological data might inform future directions of veterinary disease research. (TS) McCann TM, Simpson KE, Shaw DJ, et al. Feline diabetes mellitus in the UK: the prevalence within an insured cat population and a questionnaire-based putative risk factor analysis. J Feline Med Surg 2007;9:289-299.