Chronic diseases in captive geriatric female Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Comp Med. 2012 Apr;62(2):131-6.

Abstract

The current aging population of captive chimpanzees is expected to develop age-related diseases and present new challenges to providing their veterinary care. Spontaneous heart disease and sudden cardiac death are the main causes of death in chimpanzees (especially of male animals), but little is known about the relative frequency of other chronic diseases. Furthermore, female chimpanzees appear to outlive the males and scant literature addresses clinical conditions that affect female chimpanzees. Here we characterize the types and prevalence of chronic disease seen in geriatric (older than 35 y) female chimpanzees in the colony at Alamogordo Primate Facility. Of the 16 female chimpanzees that fit the age category, 87.5% had some form of chronic age-related disease. Cardiovascular-related disease was the most common (81.25%) followed by metabolic syndrome (43.75%) and renal disease (31.25%). These data show the incidence of disease in geriatric female chimpanzees and predict likely medical management challenges associated with maintaining an aging chimpanzee population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aging*
  • Animals
  • Ape Diseases / blood
  • Ape Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Ape Diseases / epidemiology
  • Ape Diseases / physiopathology
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Blood Pressure
  • Blood Urea Nitrogen
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / veterinary*
  • Chronic Disease
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Echocardiography / veterinary
  • Electrocardiography / veterinary
  • Female
  • Glycated Hemoglobin / analysis
  • Incidence
  • Kidney Diseases / veterinary*
  • Lipids / blood
  • Metabolic Syndrome / veterinary*
  • Pan troglodytes*
  • Prevalence
  • Proteinuria / veterinary
  • Serum Albumin / analysis

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Blood Glucose
  • Glycated Hemoglobin A
  • Lipids
  • Serum Albumin
  • Creatinine