Feline Hypertension–A Call To Action and How You Can Help
1.0 CE Credit Hours / Veterinarians & Veterinary Technicians
Overview:
Feline hypertension, commonly referred to as “the silent killer”, remains a condition that is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Most general practitioners are aware of the consequences of uncontrolled hypertension such as potentially irreversible target organ damage. What remains to be well understood is the true prevalence of feline hypertension. This course will review the basics of hypertension such as pathogenesis, categories of hypertension, and review potential target organ damage that can occur with sustained untreated hypertension. We will then review the staggering results of the Mercury Challenge – the study with the largest data set of feline blood pressure measurements to date of senior cats attending primary care practices. Finally, we will discuss the second edition of the Mercury Challenge, and how you can contribute and play an important role in improving our understanding and consequently the management of this often-overlooked disease.
Learning Objectives:
- Review the basics of feline hypertension. This includes defining the categories of feline hypertension, how to diagnose this condition and the treatment of feline hypertension.
- Examine the latest survey study results on the prevalence of feline hypertension. Contribute to the next survey to improve our understanding of this disease.
- Develop the skills to become more comfortable recommending and obtaining feline blood pressure readings.
Karren Prost, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Karren Prost, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, completed her DVM at the Ontario Veterinary College while developing a passion for public health and one health concepts. She continued her studies and obtained her Master of Public Health (Epidemiology) at the University of Toronto, and obtained diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Preventative Medicine. Prior to joining Ceva Animal Health, Dr. Prost was sharing her time between clinical practice in a busy 24-hour emergency animal hospital in central Ontario, and performing research at the Sunnybrook Research Institute on aerosolized viruses in bats, pigs and humans. Dr. Prost is currently expanding her scope of experience by being in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry while doing occasional days in clinical practice. She has a strong passion for epidemiology, preventative medicine and promoting evidence-based medicine. During her spare time, Dr. Prost enjoys spending time with her husband and young daughter, and mountain biking. She currently shares her home with her two cats who like to make appearances in video meetings.
This program is approved for 1.0 hour(s) of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE® approval.
