SYSTEMIC ARTERIAL BLOOD-PRESSURE AND URINE PROTEIN CREATININE RATIO IN DOGS WITH HYPERADRENOCORTICISM/

Objective-To determine prevalence and severity of systemic arterial hy pertension and proteinuria in dogs with naturally developing hyperadre nocorticism and to determine whether these abnormalities resolve with adequate management of the disease. Design-Case series and cohort stud y. Animals-77 dogs with naturally developing hyperadrenocorticism exam ined once; 15 dogs examined before and after treatment. Results-Among dogs examined only once, hypertension was diagnosed in 21 of 26 dogs w ith untreated pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH), 17 of 21 with inadequately controlled PDH, 8 of 16 with well-controlled PDH, 1 0 of 10 with an untreated adrenocortical tumor, and 0 of 4 that had un dergone adrenalectomy because of an adrenocortical tumor. Untreated do gs and dogs with inadequately controlled PDH had significantly higher blood pressures than did other dogs. Proteinuria was documented in 12 of 26 dogs with untreated PDH, 5 of 16 with inadequately controlled PD H, 3 of 14 with well-controlled PDH, 5 of 8 with an untreated adrenoco rtical tumor, and 1 of 3 that had undergone adrenalectomy. Dogs with u ntreated PDH and dogs with an untreated adrenocortical tumor had highe r urine protein/creatinine ratios than did dogs with well-controlled P DH. Among dogs evaluated before and after treatment, blood pressure an d urine protein/creatinine ratio did not change in 8 dogs with inadequ ately controlled hyperadrenocorticism, but decreased in 7 dogs with we ll-controlled disease. Clinical implications-Results suggest that syst emic hypertension and proteinuria are common in dogs with untreated hy peradrenocorticism and that successful treatment of hyperadrenocortici sm will result in resolution of these abnormalities in many, but not a ll, dogs.