Cardiovascular findings in ponies with equine metabolic syndrome.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To determine whether hypertension, high sympathetic tone, resting and exercising arrhythmias, and echocardiographic changes consistent with hypertensive cardiomyopathy were associated with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) in ponies. DESIGN Prospective case-control study. ANIMALS 19 privately owned ponies with a diagnosis of EMS (history of laminitis, body condition score ≥ 7/9, cresty neck score ≥ 3/5, and abnormal oral sugar test result; cases) and 20 healthy control ponies. PROCEDURES Heart rate (HR), noninvasively measured arterial blood pressure (BP), markers of autonomic tone (splenic volume and HR variability), 24-hour and exercising ECGs, and echocardiograms were compared between cases and controls. RESULTS Compared with controls, cases had a higher mean ± SD HR (44.5 ± 7.5 beats/min vs 38.6 ± 6.8 beats/min) and median mean left ventricular wall thickness (2.0 cm vs 1.8 cm). No differences were identified between groups in BP, splenic volume, HR variability, and number of premature complexes in ECGs. Mean wall thickness was correlated with BP (r = 0.54), high-frequency power (r = -0.71), and ratio of low-to high-frequency power (ϕ = 0.66). Relative wall thickness was correlated with serum insulin concentration (r = 0.71). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Ponies with EMS had myocardial hypertrophy that was correlated with insulin response to an oral sugar test, sympathetic and parasympathetic tone, and BP. The heterogeneity and limited sample size of this preliminary study should be considered when drawing conclusions. Cardiovascular changes associated with this syndrome deserve further attention.
Publication Date: 2017-04-18 PubMed ID: 28414603DOI: 10.2460/javma.250.9.1027Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Blood Pressure
- Body Condition Score
- Cardiovascular Health
- Case Reports
- Clinical Findings
- Clinical Study
- Comparative Study
- Diagnosis
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Echocardiography
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Equine Metabolic Syndrome
- Exercise
- Heart Rate
- Insulin
- Metabolic Health
- Pony
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
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The research paper investigated whether cardiovascular problems like hypertension, high sympathetic tone, arrhythmias, and hypertensive cardiomyopathy were associated with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) in ponies.
Study Design and Animal Subjects
- This is a prospective case-control study involving ponies.
- It included 19 ponies diagnosed with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) based on a history of laminitis, high body condition score, cresty neck score, and abnormal oral sugar test result. These formed the ‘case’ group.
- Also, there were 20 healthy ponies making up the ‘control’ group.
Procedures and Measurements
- The study compared heart rate (HR), arterial blood pressure (BP), markers of autonomic tone (including splenic volume and heart rate variability), electrocardiograms (ECGs) at rest and during exercise, and echocardiograms between the cases and controls.
Key Results
- The result showed that ponies with EMS had a higher mean heart rate and median mean left ventricular wall thickness compared to the control ponies.
- No significant differences were seen between the groups in terms of blood pressure, splenic volume, heart rate variability, and the number of premature complexes in ECGs.
- There was a correlation between wall thickness and blood pressure, high-frequency power, and the ratio of low-to-high-frequency power.
- Relative wall thickness was also found to be correlated with serum insulin concentration.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance
- The study revealed that ponies with EMS have myocardial hypertrophy (enlargement of the heart’s muscle tissue).
- This heart condition was related to the insulin response to an oral sugar test, sympathetic and parasympathetic tone, and blood pressure.
- However, due to the limited sample size and heterogeneity of the subjects in this preliminary study, these findings should be considered with caution.
- The authors concluded that further research into the cardiovascular changes associated with EMS in ponies is warranted.
Cite This Article
APA
Heliczer N, Gerber V, Bruckmaier R, van der Kolk JH, de Solis CN.
(2017).
Cardiovascular findings in ponies with equine metabolic syndrome.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 250(9), 1027-1035.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.250.9.1027 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Case-Control Studies
- Echocardiography / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Male
- Metabolic Syndrome / diagnosis
- Metabolic Syndrome / veterinary
- Pedigree
- Prospective Studies
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Williams NJ, Furr M, Navas de Solis C, Campolo A, Davis M, Lacombe VA. Investigating the Relationship Between Cardiac Function and Insulin Sensitivity in Horses: A Pilot Study.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:899951.
- D' Fonseca NMM, Beukers M, Wijnberg ID, Navas de Solis C, de Ruijter-Villani M, van Doorn DA, Stout TAE, Roelfsema E. Effect of a long-term high-energy diet on cardiovascular parameters in Shetland pony mares.. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Sep;35(5):2427-2436.
- Walshe N, Cabrera-Rubio R, Collins R, Puggioni A, Gath V, Crispie F, Cotter PD, Brennan L, Mulcahy G, Duggan V. A Multiomic Approach to Investigate the Effects of a Weight Loss Program on the Intestinal Health of Overweight Horses.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:668120.
- D'Fonseca NMM, Gibson CME, Hummel I, van Doorn DA, Roelfsema E, Stout TAE, van den Broek J, de Ruijter-Villani M. Overfeeding Extends the Period of Annual Cyclicity but Increases the Risk of Early Embryonic Death in Shetland Pony Mares.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 1;11(2).
- Boegli J, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ. Diagnostic value of noninvasive pulse pressure measurements in Warmblood horses with aortic regurgitation.. J Vet Intern Med 2019 May;33(3):1446-1455.
- Durham AE, Frank N, McGowan CM, Menzies-Gow NJ, Roelfsema E, Vervuert I, Feige K, Fey K. ECEIM consensus statement on equine metabolic syndrome.. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):335-349.
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