The team also identified strong links between VAC and conventional echocardiographic parameters.

The findings demonstrate the feasibility of estimating VAC via echocardiography. 

New research suggests that ventricular-arterial coupling (VAC) can be estimated using echocardiography and could help in the early detection and evaluation of cardiac function in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

The study, published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, is the first to investigate echocardiographically estimated ventricular-arterial coupling in cats with HCM, which may be useful for understanding alterations in left ventricular performance in the hypertrophic heart.

In the study, researchers reviewed the record of 69 cats diagnosed with HCM and 36 healthy control cats, all of which had undergone echocardiography at the Small Animal Hospital, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

They found that cats with HCM showed a decrease in VAC. This was particularly true of stage B1 cats, which had significantly lower VAC values than both healthy cats and those with stage C. Researchers say this suggests that changes in cardiac function may occur early in the course of the disease. 

The team also identified strong links between VAC and conventional echocardiographic parameters, noting a strong negative correlation with fractional shortening and a fair positive correlation with left ventricular internal diameter during diastole. Furthermore, VAC was associated with age, with older cats having lower VAC values.

Researchers say these findings demonstrate the feasibility of estimating VAC via echocardiography and highlight its potential to helpful tool for assessing cardiac function and early cardiovascular changes in feline HCM.

Dr Sirilak Disatian Surachetpong, senior author of the study, said: “The reduction in ventricular-arterial coupling observed even in cats with early-stage HCM is particularly interesting. 

“This suggests that VAC may capture subtle changes in cardiovascular function that are not fully reflected by conventional echocardiographic measurements. Further research will help determine whether it can become a useful tool for earlier assessment and monitoring of cats with HCM.”

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