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Topic:Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular health in horses encompasses the study of the heart and blood vessels, focusing on their structure, function, and associated disorders. The equine cardiovascular system is responsible for the circulation of blood, delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues, and removing waste products. Research in this area includes the examination of cardiac anatomy, the electrophysiology of the heart, and common cardiovascular conditions such as arrhythmias, valvular diseases, and heart murmurs. Diagnostic tools such as echocardiography, electrocardiography, and cardiac biomarkers are utilized to assess cardiovascular function and detect abnormalities. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the physiological mechanisms, diagnostic approaches, and therapeutic strategies related to cardiovascular health in horses.
Feasibility of a point-of-care ultrasound protocol for cardiorespiratory evaluation of horses in different clinical settings. A point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) protocol for evaluation of the cardiac and respiratory systems in horses does not exist. Objective: (a) Describe the windows of a POCUS protocol for cardiorespiratory assessment of horses (CRASH); (b) Estimate the number of acoustic windows that can be acquired by a sonographer-in-training; (c) Estimate the time required to complete the protocol for specific groups of horses; (d) Describe the sonographic abnormalities detected in horses presented with cardiovascular, respiratory, or systemic disease. Methods: Twenty-seven healthy horses, 14 horses competing i...
Assessment of P Wave Indices in Healthy Standardbred Horses. P wave indices are used as non-invasive electrocardiographic markers of atrial remodelling in humans. Few studies have investigated their use in animals. The aim of this study was to measure P wave duration and P wave dispersion (Pd) in healthy standardbred horses and investigate variables that might influence these measurements. A 12-lead electrocardiogram was recorded at rest and P wave indices were calculated in 53 horses. A general linear model was used to investigate the main effects: age, bodyweight, sex, resting heart rate, presence of a murmur, exercise status and the number of years r...
Three-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping and radiofrequency ablation as a novel treatment for atrioventricular accessory pathway in a horse: A case report. We describe the diagnosis and treatment of an atrioventricular accessory pathway (AP) in a horse using 3-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping (3D EAM) and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). During routine evaluation of the horse, intermittent ventricular pre-excitation was identified on the ECG, characterized by a short PQ interval and abnormal QRS morphology. A right cranial location of the AP was suspected from the 12-lead ECG and vectorcardiography. After precise localization of the AP using 3D EAM, ablation was performed and AP conduction was eliminated. Immediately after recovery ...
Electrocardiographic and Echocardiographic Parameters in Pega Breed Donkeys: A Descriptive Study. Clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters in Pega donkeys are scarce in the literature; hence, this study was performed to describe the echocardiographic and electrocardiographic measurements in Pega breed donkeys. The objectives of this study were to describe and illustrate the clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic parameters in Pega donkeys used for reproduction. Fifty Pega breed donkeys were evaluated, with an average age of 3.4 years and with 20 males and 30 females. In each animal, the electrocardiographic examination at rest was performed using the T...
M-Mode Echocardiographic Measurements of Interventricular Septum, Left Ventricular Internal Diameter, and Left Ventricular Free-Wall Thickness in Normal Horses-A Meta-Analytical Study. The purpose of this study was to provide a systematic meta-analysis on echocardiographic measurements in normal Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses. The current systematic meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). All the available published papers on the reference values of echocardiographic assessment via M-mode echocardiography were searched, and fifteen studies were finally selected for analysis. In both fixed and random effect, the confidence interval (CI) for the interventricular septum (IVS) was 2.8-3.1 and 4.7-7.5; for the ...
Validation of an Equine Smart Textile System for Heart Rate Variability: A Preliminary Study. Electrocardiograms (ECGs), and associated heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements, are essential in assessing equine cardiovascular health and fitness. Smart textiles have gained popularity, but limited validation work has been conducted. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare HR and HRV data obtained using a smart textile system (Myant) to the gold-standard telemetric device (Televet). Simultaneous ECGs were obtained using both systems in seven horses at rest and during a submaximal exercise test. Bland-Altman tests were used to assess agreement between th...
Intramural Purkinje fibers facilitate rapid ventricular activation in the equine heart. The Purkinje fibers convey the electrical impulses at much higher speed than the working myocardial cells. Thus, the distribution of the Purkinje network is of paramount importance for the timing and coordination of ventricular activation. The Purkinje fibers are found in the subendocardium of all species of mammals, but some mammals also possess an intramural Purkinje fiber network that provides for relatively instantaneous, burst-like activation of the entire ventricular wall, and gives rise to an rS configuration in lead II of the ECG. To relate the topography of the horse heart and the dis...
Heart rate variability during high-speed treadmill exercise and recovery in Thoroughbred racehorses presented for poor performance. Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis measures the inter-beat interval variation of successive cardiac cycles. Measurement of these indices has been used to assess cardiac autonomic modulation and for arrhythmia identification in exercising horses. Objective: To report HRV indices during submaximal exercise, strenuous exercise and recovery, and explore relationships with clinical conditions (arrhythmias, lameness, equine gastric ulcer syndrome [EGUS], lower airway inflammation and upper respiratory tract obstructions [URTOs]) in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Retrospective, observational cr...
Comparison of Four Arteries for Invasive Blood Pressure Measurements and Dixtal 2010 Oscillometric Values in Horses Anesthetized With Isoflurane: Does the Artery Matter? This study evaluated the agreement between invasive blood pressure (IBP) values measured in three different arteries and by an oscillometric device (NIBP) with the ones from the transverse facial artery (FA). Six horses (424.2 ± 40.7 kg) were sedated with xylazine (0.6 mg/kg IV), induced with ketamine (2 mg/kg IV) and midazolam (0.1 mg/kg IV), and maintained with isoflurane (1.2 MAC) for 90 minutes in lateral recumbency. FA, auricular artery (AA), lateral digital artery (LDA), and metatarsal artery (MA) were catheterized, and a standard adult cuff was placed on the tail. IBP and NIBP values w...
A one-health approach to identifying and mitigating the impact of endocrine disorders on human and equine athletes. Endocrinopathies affect multiple species in ever-increasing percentages of their populations, creating an opportunity to apply one-health approaches to determining creative preventative measures and therapies in athletes. Obesity and alterations in insulin and glucose dynamics are medical concerns that play a role in whole-body health and homeostasis in both horses and humans. The role and impact of endocrine disorders on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems are of particular interest to the athlete. Elucidation of both physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms invol...
Assessment of the microvascular perfusion using sidestream dark-field imaging in healthy newborn foals. Different methods to measure tissue perfusion are available in equine neonatology, but they are not representative of microvascular derangements. Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of the sidestream dark-field (SDF) capillaroscopy to visualize the capillary microvasculature in conscious newborn foals, the differences between two imaging sites and times of measurements, and the measurements' reproducibility. Methods: Seventeen healthy newborn foals were enrolled. Three sites at the upper and lower lip mucosa were assessed by SDF, using a hand-held capiscope, at 24 h and at 4-5 days after bi...
Clinical and Antinociceptive Effects of Distal Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block in Ponies With Tramadol 5% or Lidocaine 2. This study aimed to compare the antinociceptive effects of tramadol 5% and lidocaine 2% on mental nerve block in horses of the Brazilian Pony breed. Eight adult non-pregnant mares were used in this study. The ponies were tranquilized with acepromazine (5 µg kg, IV), and the infiltration of the mental foramen was performed in Treatment 1- tramadol 5% (T, 150 mg) or Treatment 2- lidocaine 2% (L, 60 mg), both at a total dose of 3 ml in each foramen. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), systolic arterial pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), rectal te...
Changes in Heart Rate Variability with Induction of Gastric Ulcers in Adult Horses. Gastric ulceration can be induced by athletic training and is a significant welfare concern. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of gastric ulcer induction on heart rate variability (HRV) in the horse. We hypothesized that induction of gastric ulcers would decrease HRV and increase low frequency fluctuations, consistent with increased sympathetic tone. A convenience sample of 8 horses in a larger study were enrolled. Horses were randomly assigned to receive water or 2 mg/kg omeprazole orally once daily for 28 days. Gastric ulcers were induced through intermittent feed withho...
A Smart Textile Band Achieves High-Quality Electrocardiograms in Unrestrained Horses. Electrocardiography (ECG) is an essential tool in assessing equine health and fitness. However, standard ECG devices are expensive and rely on the use of adhesive electrodes, which may become detached and are associated with reduced ECG quality over time. Smart textile electrodes composed of stainless-steel fibers have previously been shown to be a suitable alternative in horses at rest and during exercise. The objective of this study was to compare ECG quality using a smart textile girth band knit with silver and carbon yarns to standard adhesive silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrodes. S...
Measuring heart rate variability using a heart rate monitor in horses (Equus caballus) during groundwork. Measuring physiological parameters of stress in horses during groundwork, for example when involved in equine-assisted interventions, is important to gain insight into the stress levels of the horses. Heart rate and heart rate variability can be used as physiological indicators of stress in horses. Heart rate monitors could be easily incorporated into practice, as they are not expensive and easy to use. However, it is questionable whether heart rate monitors present accurate heart rate variability results in exercising horses, similar to electrocardiograms. The aim of this study was to determi...
Mid-term performance of decellularized equine pericardium in congenital heart surgery. The aim was to report mid-term performance of decellularized equine pericardium used for repair of various congenital heart defects in the pediatric population. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients undergoing patch implantation between 2016 - 2020 was performed. Patch quality, surgical handling, hemostasis and early patch-related complications were studied on all patients. Mid-term performance was observed in patients with ≥12 months follow-up and intact patch at discharge (without reoperation/stent implantation). Results: A total of 201 patients with median age of 2.5 years [inte...
Cartilaginous Intrusion of the Atrioventricular Node in a Quarter Horse with a High Burden of Second-Degree AV Block and Collapse: A Case Report. Second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in horses, affecting 40-90% depending on breed. Usually, the AV blocks occur while the horses are resting and disappear upon exercise and are, therefore, considered to be uneventful for horses. However, if the AV blocks occur frequently, this may result in syncope and collapse. Identifying the cause of second-degree AV block is difficult and often subscribed to high vagal tone. In this report, we present an eight-year-old Quarter horse with a high burden of second-degree AV blocks and multiple collapses. The clinic...
Equine echocardiography: Can dobutamine infusion correct alterations due to sedation with alpha-2 agonists? For the echocardiographic examination horses should not be sedated unless absolutely necessary because this alters cardiac dimensions and indices of function. However, some horses do not tolerate the echocardiographic procedure and require sedation to conduct the examination safely and obtain good quality images. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the concurrent infusion of dobutamine in horses sedated with romifidine counteracts the cardiovascular changes observed with sedation alone. Twelve healthy untrained Standardbred mares were used. Three echocardiographic examinations ...
Retrospective review of atrial fibrillation in Standardbred racehorses at a tertiary care facility in Atlantic Canada. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most clinically relevant cardiac arrhythmia identified in the Standardbred racehorse. However, there is limited literature regarding athletic ability in Standardbred racehorses following AF conversion. To investigate this issue, the objectives of this review were to: i) determine the success rate in using quinidine sulphate to treat AF in a population of hospitalized equine patients in Atlantic Canada between January 2008 and December 2019; and ii) measure return to athletic ability (using racetrack earnings and top-3 finishes) following cardioversion with quini...
Mining the equine gut metagenome: poorly-characterized taxa associated with cardiovascular fitness in endurance athletes. Emerging evidence indicates that the gut microbiome contributes to endurance exercise performance. Still, the extent of its functional and metabolic potential remains unknown. Using elite endurance horses as a model system for exercise responsiveness, we built an integrated horse gut gene catalog comprising ~25 million unique genes and 372 metagenome-assembled genomes. This catalog represents 4179 genera spanning 95 phyla and functional capacities primed to exploit energy from dietary, microbial, and host resources. The holo-omics approach shows that gut microbiomes enriched in Lachnospiraceae...
Retrospective Study on Risk Factors and Short-Term Outcome of Horses Referred for Colic from 2016 to 2022. (1) Background: colic syndrome is a multifactorial life-threatening condition in equids. Awareness of predisposing and prognostic indicators is useful to adequately inform the owner of the outcome and plan the best treatment. The aim of the study was to identify the variables associated with short-term survival in a cohort of horses referred for colic to a veterinary teaching hospital; (2) Methods: medical records of horses referred for colic from 2016 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate regression models were built to assess the odds ratios of discharge from the...
Effect of Lactate Minimum Speed-Guided Conditioning on Selected Blood Parameters of Horses. During exercise, equines can suffer severe water and electrolyte imbalances depending on the intensity and duration. In this sense, conditioning aims to promote adaptations to the organism in order to maintain cardiovascular and thermoregulatory stability during exertion. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of conditioning guided by lactate minimum speed (LMS) test on the blood osmolality of horses. We hypothesized that after conditioning the blood osmolality would vary less during exercise and that LMS could be used in equine conditioning program. Ten Arabian horses were evaluated before ...
Cardiovascular effects of intravenous morphine in anesthetized horse. To investigate whether morphine causes a change in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) heart rate (HR) and oxygen extraction (OE) rate in healthy horses anesthetized with isoflurane and a dexmedetomidine infusion. Unassigned: The study design was prospective clinical, randomized, blinded two groups including 33 horses. All horses were sedated with romifidine IV, and anesthesia was induced with midazolam IV and ketamine IV and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen and medical air and a dexmedetomidine infusion. As a baseline venous and arterial blood, HR and MAP were sampled. Thereafter either mo...
Assessing the cardiac valves conditions in athletic horses with poor performance. Heart murmurs and valvular regurgitation are common in horses and often have no effect on their performance. However, when structural changes occur in the heart size, they can affect performance adversely. This study aimed to examine the correlation between cardiac valves disease and poor performance in athletic horses. A total of 300 athletic Thoroughbred and mix-breed horses including 164 mares and 136 stallions, with a history of poor performance, were selected. Horses with cardiac murmurs were identified and further cardiac examination including precise auscultation, base-apex electrocardi...
Does sex of the jockey influence racehorse physiology and performance. The racing industry is supported by a predominance of female stablehands and work riders, but few become professional jockeys. Female jockeys have recently had notable race success. No study has assessed whether the sex of the rider may subtly influence racehorse physiology to affect performance. Here, using a validated exercise tracking system (the 'Equimetre'™) that records many physiological parameters simultaneously, this study characterised racehorse cardiovascular (heart rate, heart rate recovery) and biomechanical (stride length and frequency) parameters at various exercise intensitie...
Echocardiographic Features of the Ductus Arteriosus and the Foramen Ovale in a Hospital-Based Population of Neonatal Foals. The ductus arteriosus (DA) and foramen ovale (FO), including the septum primum (SP) and septum secundum (SS), are important structures in fetal circulation and are unexplored in neonatal equids. The objective of this study is to describe echocardiographic characteristics in a hospital-based population of neonatal foals. On days 2, 5 and 10 after parturition, cardiac ultrasound was performed, and clinical data were collected in healthy and diseased Warmblood foals. Fifty healthy ( = 15) and diseased ( = 35) Warmblood foals were examined. A left-sided and right-sided holosystolic murmur was audi...
Cardiovascular changes in horses with atrial fibrillation and high thyroid hormone concentration: a case-control study. Hyperthyroidism is a predisposing factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) in humans. The relationship between high thyroid hormone (TH) and AF in horses has not been evaluated. Objective: The aim of this study is to identify whether (1) high TH concentrations were present in horses with AF, (2) other cardiovascular effects were observed in horses with high TH and AF, and (3) TH status affected recurrence rate. Methods: Twenty-three horses presented with naturally occurring AF. Methods: Prospective case-control clinical study. Thyroid hormone concentration was measured in horses presenting with AF....
Intravenous Magnesium Sulphate in Standing Horses: Effects on Physiological Parameters, Plasma Concentration of Magnesium and Nociceptive Threshold Tests☆. A bolus of 50 mg kg MgSO (treatment Mg) or the same volume of saline (treatment S) was infused over 15 minutes in 5 adult healthy horses. T0 was the end of the infusion. Physiological parameters were recorded throughout the study period. Measurements of electrical, thermal, and mechanical nociceptive thresholds were performed at the pelvic limbs at baseline (before T0), and at specific timepoints. Blood samples were taken at fixed timepoints before, during and until 12 hours after the infusion. For statistical analysis, the 95% confidence intervals (CI's) for the differences in nociceptive th...
Immobilization of Captive Kulans (Equus hemionus kulan) Without Using Ultrapotent Opioids. Etorphine is widely used in zoological medicine for the immobilization of large herbivores. All reported immobilization protocols for kulans use etorphine as the primary immobilizing agent. However, etorphine can trigger severe side effects and is highly toxic for humans, its availability is occasionally limited for use in wildlife medicine. Therefore, two different alpha-2 agonist-based protocols for the general anesthesia of kulans were investigated and compared with the standard etorphine immobilization. In total, 21 immobilizations were performed within the scope of routine husbandry manag...
