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Aldosterone plasma concentration in horses with heart valve insufficiencies.
Abstract: In humans and small animals, heart disease can lead to an increase in aldosterone, and the aldosterone level correlates with the severity of the heart disease. In horses similar interactions may be possible and may lead to an increase in aldosterone in horses with heart valve insufficiencies. In a prospective clinical trial eight healthy horses (control group) and 40 horses with heart valve disease were examined. In all horses, a clinical (auscultation), electro- and echocardiographic examination was performed and aldosterone plasma concentration was determined. The median aldosterone plasma concentration in the control group was 23.95 pg/ml. Twenty-one out of 40 horses with heart valve insufficiencies and without dimensional changes by echocardiography (group 1) showed a median aldosterone plasma concentration of 45.5 pg/ml. Five out of the 40 horses had a left atrial (LA) dilation and an average LA size with 147.6+/-11 mm (group 2) and a median aldosterone plasma concentration of 95.9 pg/ml. Five other horses had a left ventricular (LV) dilation with an average LV size of 141.6+/-6.8 mm (group 3) and a median aldosterone plasma concentration of about 115.3 pg/ml. In this group a positive correlation between aldosterone plasma concentration and LV existed (r=0.9, P=0.03). Nine horses with both LA (152.8+/-11.4 mm) and LV dilatation (145+/-9 mm, group 4) had a median aldosterone plasma concentration of 161.2 pg/ml. Significant differences of the aldosterone concentrations were observed between the control group and the horses with LA and LV dilation (group 4, P=0.0005), as well as between group 1 (horses with heart valve insufficiency but without dilation) and group 4 (P=0.0006). The study confirms that, as reported for other species, aldosterone rises as the severity of valvular disease increases. However, in this study, as there is only significant difference from normal in the most affected group, it will require further study before the plasma aldosterone level can be relied on as an indicator of the severity of heart disease in an individual horse.
Publication Date: 2007-12-20 PubMed ID: 18086482DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2007.11.002Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates the concentration of aldosterone, a hormone related to heart disease, in horses with heart valve insufficiencies, comparing healthy horses to ones suffering from heart valve issues. The study confirmed that, as the severity of valvular disease increases, so does the level of aldosterone, but further research is necessary to determine if plasma aldosterone levels can be relied upon as an indicator of heart disease severity in individual horses.
Methodology
- The research was a prospective clinical trial involving 48 horses in total – 8 healthy horses constituted the control group, while 40 horses diagnosed with heart valve disease were the subjects of the study.
- Each of the horses underwent a clinical examination, which included auscultation (listening to the sounds of the heart), electrocardiography (measuring electrical activity of the heart), and echocardiography (using sound waves to create images of the heart).
- The plasma concentration of aldosterone was measured in all horses.
Findings
- The median aldosterone plasma concentration in the control group was 23.95 pg/ml.
- Of the 40 horses with heart valve insufficiencies, 21 had no dimensional changes on echocardiography (group 1). They showed a median aldosterone plasma concentration of 45.5 pg/ml.
- Five horses had left atrial (LA) dilation with an average size of 147.6 mm (group 2). Their median aldosterone plasma concentration was 95.9 pg/ml.
- Another five horses with left ventricular (LV) dilation showed an average LV size of 141.6 mm (group 3) and a median aldosterone plasma concentration of about 115.3 pg/ml. In this group, a strong positive correlation existed between the LV size and aldosterone plasma concentration.
- The remaining 9 horses had both LA and LV dilatation (group 4). Their median aldosterone plasma concentration was 161.2 pg/ml.
- Significant differences in aldosterone concentrations were observed between the control group and group 4 (P=0.0005). Likewise, there were notable differences between group 1 and group 4 (P=0.0006).
Conclusion
- The study corroborates previous findings that aldosterone levels rise as the severity of valvular disease increases, a trait seen in other species as well.
- However, only the group with the most severe symptoms (group 4) showed significant differences in aldosterone levels from the control group. Hence, it cannot yet be conclusively stated that plasma aldosterone level is a reliable indicator of the severity of heart disease in individual horses. Further studies are necessary to validate this claim.
Cite This Article
APA
Gehlen H, Sundermann T, Rohn K, Stadler P.
(2007).
Aldosterone plasma concentration in horses with heart valve insufficiencies.
Res Vet Sci, 85(2), 340-344.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2007.11.002 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, D-30173 Hannover, Germany. heidrun.gehlen@tiho-hannover.de
MeSH Terms
- Aldosterone / blood
- Aldosterone / metabolism
- Animals
- Female
- Heart Valve Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Male
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Gehlen H, Shety T, El-Zahar H, Hofheinz I. Measurement of plasma endothelin-1 concentration in healthy horses and horses with cardiac disease during rest and after exercise. J Vet Med Sci 2019 Feb 28;81(2):263-268.
- Hart KA, Barton MH. Adrenocortical insufficiency in horses and foals. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2011 Apr;27(1):19-34.
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