Vitamin d status predicts 30 day mortality in hospitalised cats

Vitamin D insufficiency, defined as low serum concentrations of the major circulating form of vitamin D, 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), has been associated with the development of numerous infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic disorders in humans. In addition, vitamin D insufficiency has been found to be predictive of mortality for many disorders. However, interpretation of human studies is difficult since vitamin D status is influenced by many factors, including diet, season, latitude, and exposure to UV radiation. In contrast, domesticated cats do not produce vitamin D cutaneously, and most cats are fed a commercial diet containing a relatively standard amount of vitamin D. Consequently, domesticated cats are an attractive model system in which to examine the relationship between serum 25(OH)D and health outcomes. The hypothesis of this study was that vitamin D status would predict short term, all-cause mortality in domesticated cats. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D, together with a wide range of other clinical, hematological, and biochemical parameters, were measured in 99 consecutively hospitalised cats. Cats which died within 30 days of initial assessment had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations than cats which survived. In a linear regression model including 12 clinical variables, serum 25(OH)D concentration in the lower tertile was significantly predictive of mortality. The odds ratio of mortality within 30 days was 8.27 (95% confidence interval 2.54-31.52) for cats with a serum 25(OH)D concentration in the lower tertile. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that low serum 25(OH)D concentration status is an independent predictor of short term mortality in cats

Relationship between vitamin D status and leukocytes in hospitalised cats

ObjectivesVitamin D deficiency, as assessed by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations, has been linked to markers of systemic inflammation in human and canine medicine. However, the relationship between vitamin D status and inflammation has not been previously investigated in cats. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and leukocyte counts in hospitalised sick cats.MethodsSerum 25(OH)D concentrations and haematology profiles were measured in 170 consecutive hospitalised sick cats. A binary logistical regression model examined the relationship between serum 25(OH)D concentration, age, sex, breed and neutrophil, monocyte, eosinophil and lymphocyte counts.ResultsCats with neutrophilia had lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations than cats with neutrophil concentrations below the upper limit of the reference interval (RI). There were no differences in serum 25(OH)D concentrations in cats with monocyte, lymphocyte or eosinophil counts above their respective RI compared with cats with counts below the upper limit of the RI.Conclusions and relevanceHospitalised cats with a neutrophil count above the RI had lower vitamin D status. There is a need to establish whether lower vitamin D status is a cause or consequence of increased neutrophil counts.</jats:sec

Box and whiskers plot of serum concentrations of 25(OH)D in nmol/l in cats which died or were alive at 30 days post admission.

<p>Box extends from 25^th-75^th percentiles with solid line representing the median value. Whiskers extend to 5^th-95^th percentiles.</p

Results of logistic regression model combining vitamin D as a categorical variable using 25(OH)D as a binary predictor of lower tertile versus middle and upper tertiles combined.

<p>Table only shows significant predictors. (AIC = 83.58)</p><p>Results of logistic regression model combining vitamin D as a categorical variable using 25(OH)D as a binary predictor of lower tertile versus middle and upper tertiles combined.</p

Results of logistic regression model including serum 25(OH)D concentration as three tertile categorical variable.

<p>Table only shows significant variables. (AIC = 85.50)</p><p>Results of logistic regression model including serum 25(OH)D concentration as three tertile categorical variable.</p