Plasma aldosterone concentration and the survival of dogs with chronic kidney disease

Abstract

This study investigated plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) in dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and evaluated the survival of CKD dogs with high PAC, retrospectively. PAC was measured in blood samples obtained from 145 client-owned dogs. The dogs were divided into two groups: healthy (n = 106) and CKD (n = 39). In the healthy group, median (minimum-maximum) PAC was 56 (10–250) pg/mL and the upper limit (95 percentile) was 182 pg/mL. PAC (median 69 pg/mL; range 10–553 pg/mL) in the CKD group was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in the healthy group. In dogs with CKD, the survival time (mean ± SD; 387 ± 270 days) of those with high PAC (n = 10) (> 182 pg/mL) was significantly (P < 0.05) shorter than that (742 ± 509 days) than those (n = 24) with normal PAC. In conclusion, high PAC might indicate a shorter survival time in dogs with CKD. However, further study on PAC level in CKD progression and treatment response in a larger population should be performed.