Echocardiographic changes in heart size in hypohydrated horses.
Abstract: Hypohydration causes transient echocardiographic changes in pigs, dogs, humans, and cats. These changes mask the diagnosis of some cardiac diseases (valvular regurgitation, dilated cardiomyopathy) and promote the diagnosis of others (hypertropic cardiomyopathy and infiltrative disease), thus inhibiting accurate echocardiographic evaluation. Objective: To describe the echocardiographic changes associated with hypohydration in normal horses. Methods: Ten adult horses without detectable cardiac disease. Methods: Experimental study. Echocardiographic examinations were performed on horses in the euhydrated and hypohydrated states. Horses were hypohydrated by combined water deprivation and furosemide administration until a 4-7% reduction in bodyweight was achieved. Statistical analyses were performed by paired t-tests. Results: Hypohydration decreased left ventricular internal diameter in systole (0.8 ± 0.6 cm) and diastole (1.7 ± 0.9 cm), left atrial diameter (1.5 ± 0.4 cm) and left ventricular volume (490 ± 251 mL) (P-values < .01), and increased septal wall thickness in diastole (0.6 ± 0.3 cm), free wall thickness in diastole (0.5 ± 0.3 cm), mean wall thickness (0.5 ± 0.2 cm) and relative wall thickness (0.2 ± 0.1 cm) (P-values < .01). Conclusions: Hypohydration produces changes in left ventricular and atrial size that could mask or promote the severity of cardiac disease. The thickened, "pseudohypertrophied" appearance of the left ventricle in hypohydrated horses could affect interpretation of echocardiographic variables that are applied to the prediction of athletic performance. Echocardiography may prove a noninvasive method of monitoring volume status and response to fluid therapy in hypovolemic horses.
Copyright © 2010 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Publication Date: 2010-10-12 PubMed ID: 21039870DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0612.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research investigates echocardiographic changes in heart size in horses when they are dehydrated (hypohydrated). The study reveals that hypohydration can lead to certain variations in left ventricular and atrial size that could impact the accuracy of diagnosing certain cardiac diseases and prediction of athletic performance.
Objective of the Research
- The main objective of the research was to describe the changes observed in echocardiograms of horses when they undergo hypohydration, and how these changes could impact the diagnosis of cardiac diseases and athletic predictions.
Methodology
- Ten adult horses were selected for the study, all of which did not have any detectable heart disease.
- The study was conducted as an experimental trial, where echocardiographic exams were performed on the horses in two different states – normal hydration (euhydration) and hypohydration.
- The horses were purposely hypohydrated through a combination of water deprivation and administration of furosemide, a diuretic, until a 4-7% reduction in body weight was achieved.
- The statistical analyses of the results were performed using paired t-tests.
Results
- The results showed that hypohydration led to decreases in the left ventricular internal diameter during systole and diastole, left atrial diameter, and left ventricular volume, with all changes found to be statistically significant (with P-values < .01).
- It was also observed that under hypohydration, the septal wall thickness in diastole, free wall thickness in diastole, mean wall thickness, and relative wall thickness experienced increases, again with significant P-values < .01.
Conclusions
- On the basis of these results, the researchers concluded that hypohydration can result in size changes in the left ventricle and atrium that could potentially interfere with the diagnosis of severity of cardiac disease.
- The study stipulates that the left ventricle’s pseudohypertrophied appearance in hypohydrated horses could affect the interpretation of echocardiographic variables used to predict their athletic performance.
- These findings also highlight the utility of echocardiography as a non-invasive way to monitor volume status and response to fluid therapy in hypovolemic (low blood volume) horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Underwood C, Norton JL, Nolen-Walston RD, Dallap-Schaer BL, Boston R, Slack J.
(2010).
Echocardiographic changes in heart size in hypohydrated horses.
J Vet Intern Med, 25(3), 563-569.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0612.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA. claire.underwood@uqconnect.edu.au
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Atrial Appendage / pathology
- Dehydration / chemically induced
- Dehydration / etiology
- Dehydration / veterinary
- Diuretics / toxicity
- Echocardiography / veterinary
- Furosemide / toxicity
- Heart Atria / drug effects
- Heart Atria / pathology
- Heart Diseases / diagnostic imaging
- Heart Diseases / pathology
- Heart Diseases / veterinary
- Heart Ventricles / drug effects
- Heart Ventricles / pathology
- Horse Diseases / chemically induced
- Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Water Deprivation
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Bevevino KE, Cohen ND, Gordon SG, Navas de Solis C. Feasibility of a point-of-care ultrasound protocol for cardiorespiratory evaluation of horses in different clinical settings. J Vet Intern Med 2023 May-Jun;37(3):1223-1232.
- Crabtree NE, Epstein KL. Current Concepts in Fluid Therapy in Horses. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:648774.
- Kristensen CB, Steensgaard-Hansen F, Myhr KA, Løkkegaard NJ, Finsen SH, Hassager C, Møgelvang R. Left Ventricular Mass Assessment by 1- and 2-Dimensional Echocardiographic Methods in Hemodialysis Patients: Changes in Left Ventricular Volume Using Echocardiography Before and After a Hemodialysis Session. Kidney Med 2020 Sep-Oct;2(5):578-588.e1.
- Koenig TR, Mitchell KJ, Schwarzwald CC. Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Ventricular Function in Healthy Horses and in Horses with Heart Disease Using Pulsed-Wave Tissue Doppler Imaging. J Vet Intern Med 2017 Mar;31(2):556-567.
- Schantz DI, Dragulescu A, Memauri B, Grotenhuis HB, Seed M, Grosse-Wortmann L. Effect of hydration status on atrial and ventricular volumes and function in healthy adult volunteers. Pediatr Radiol 2016 Oct;46(11):1520-7.
- Flethøj M, Schwarzwald CC, Haugaard MM, Carstensen H, Kanters JK, Olsen LH, Buhl R. Left Ventricular Function After Prolonged Exercise in Equine Endurance Athletes. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jul;30(4):1260-9.
- Dufourni A, Buschmann E, Vernemmen I, Van Steenkiste G, van Loon G, Decloedt A. Effect of physiological and pharmacological stress on heart rate, blood pressure, and echocardiographic measurements in healthy Warmblood horses. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):398-410.
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