Editing Birman (section)

==Health==
A study in the UK of veterinary records found the Birman to have a life expectancy of 14.39 years based on a sample of 38 cats, higher than the 11.74 average overall.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Teng | first1=Kendy Tzu-yun | last2=Brodbelt | first2=Dave C | last3=Church | first3=David B | last4=O’Neill | first4=Dan G | title=Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK | journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery | volume=26 | issue=5 | date=2024 | pages=1098612X241234556 | issn=1098-612X | doi=10.1177/1098612X241234556 | doi-access=free | pmid=38714312 | pmc=11156239 }}</ref>

Paltrinieri, Giraldi, Prolo, Scarpa, ''et al''. (2017)<ref name=PaltrinieriEtal2017/> found that Birman cats have a high serum concentration of creatinine and symmetric dimethylarginine, but most Birman cats have higher concentrations of creatinine than SDMA. Creatinine is a creatine phosphate and is produced during metabolism of creatine, and is excreted through urination. SDMA is a methylated form of the amino acid arginine and is released during normal catabolisms of body proteins. Levels of creatinine and SDMA are found when Birman cats are tested for chronic kidney disease, for which they are at high risk. Birman cats are also at risk of developing feline infectious [[peritonitis]]; a disease that alters the renal function (creatinine levels in blood and urine) in the cats.<ref name=PaltrinieriEtal2017>{{cite journal |first1=Saverio |last1=Paltrinieri |first2=Marco |last2=Giraldi |first3=Amanda |last3=Prolo |first4=Paola |last4=Scarpa |first5=Eleonora |last5=Piseddu |first6=Massimo |last6=Beccati |first7=Benedetta |last7=Graziani |first8=Stefano |last8=Bo |title=Serum symmetric dimethylarginine and creatinine in Birman cats compared with cats of other breeds |journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery |volume=20 |issue=10 |pages=905–912 |date=10 October 2017 |pmid=28994640 |doi=10.1177/1098612X17734066 |pmc=11129243 |s2cid=6832566 |hdl=2434/551054 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> In a review of over 5,000 cases of [[Bladder stone (animal)|urate urolithiasis]] the Birman was over-represented with an [[odds ratio]] of 6.77.<ref name="pmid22443437">{{cite journal |last1=Albasan |first1=H. |last2=Osborne |first2=C. A. |last3=Lulich |first3=J. P. |last4=Lekcharoensuk |first4=C. |title=Risk factors for urate uroliths in cats. |journal=[[Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association]] |date=2012 |volume=240 |issue=7 |pages=842–847 |pmid=22443437 |doi=10.2460/javma.240.7.842 |pmc= |url= https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&tool=sumsearch.org/cite&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=22443437}}</ref>

Feline audiogenic reflex seizures (FARS), a recently discovered type of epilepsy in cats, is believed to be particularly common in Birman cats.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Feline Audiogenic Reflex Seizures (FARS) {{!}} International Cat Care|url=https://icatcare.org/advice/feline-audiogenic-reflex-seizures-fars/|access-date=2021-02-27|website=icatcare.org|language=en-US}}</ref>