Clinical importance of borderline proteinuria in nonazotemic cats and evaluation of other risk factors for the development of chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Abstract Background Borderline proteinuria is associated with decreased survival in cats with azotemic chronic kidney disease (CKD). Objectives Determine the clinical importance of borderline proteinuria in nonazotemic cats. Animals A total of 201 healthy client‐owned cats ≥7 years of age; 150 nonproteinuric (urinary protein : creatinine ratio [UPC] 14 μg/dL; hazard ratio [HR], 4.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0‐8.8; P < .001), sCrea ≥1.6 mg/dL (≥140 μmol/L; HR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.1‐6.4; P = .04), borderline proteinuria (HR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.2‐5.2; P = .01), and age at inclusion (HR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2‐1.5; P < .001) were significantly associated with diagnosis of renal disease 6 months later. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Borderline proteinuria should receive more attention in healthy mature adult and senior cats because it is associated with renal disease and death.

Keywords

• feline
• geriatric
• middle‐aged
• predictors
• renal
• urinary protein : creatinine ratio