FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2018; 32(4); 1410-1419; doi: 10.1111/jvim.15137

Effect of induced chronic atrial fibrillation on exercise performance in Standardbred trotters.

Abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia affecting performance in horses. However, no previous studies have quantified the performance reduction in horses suffering from AF. Objective: To quantify the effect of AF on maximum velocity (Vmax ), maximum heart rate (HRmax ), heart rate recovery (T100 ), hematologic parameters and development of abnormal QRS complexes. Methods: Nine Standardbred trotters. Methods: Two-arm controlled trial. Six horses had AF induced by means of a pacemaker and 3 served as sham-operated controls. All horses were subjected to an exercise test to fatigue before (SET1) and after (SET2) 2 months of AF or sham. The Vmax and HRmax were assessed using a linear mixed normal model. Abnormal QRS complexes were counted manually on surface ECGs. Results: Atrial fibrillation resulted in a 1.56 m/sec decrease in Vmax (P < .0001). In the AF group, HRmax  ± SD increased from 226 ± 11 bpm at SET1 to 311 ± 27 bpm at SET 2. The AF group had higher HRmax at SET2 compared with controls (P < .0001), whereas no difference between the control and AF groups was observed at SET1 (P = .96). Several episodes of wide complex tachycardia were observed during exercise in 3 of the AF horses during SET2. Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation resulted in a significant reduction in performance, an increase in HR and development of abnormal QRS complexes during exercise, which may be a risk factor for collapse or sudden cardiac death.
Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2018-05-10 PubMed ID: 29749082PubMed Central: PMC6060327DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15137Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study investigates the impact of Atrial fibrillation (AF), a common heart condition in horses, on their performance. The researchers found that AF led to a significant drop in the horses’ top speed and heart rate, and made them more likely to develop abnormal heart rhythms during exercise, potentially increasing their risk of sudden cardiac death.

Objective of the Study

  • The primary aim of the research was to determine the quantitative effect of Atrial fibrillation (AF) on the maximum speed (V), maximum heart rate (HR), recovery heart rate (T), hematologic parameters and the development of abnormal heart rhythms (QRS complexes) in Standardbred trotters.

Methodology

  • The sample size for the study was nine Standardbred trotters.
  • This was a two-arm controlled trial, where six horses had AF artificially induced by a pacemaker, and three horses acted as non-operated controls for comparison.
  • Each horse was subjected to an exercise test to the point of fatigue both before (SET1) and after (SET2) two months with AF or with the sham.
  • Their maximum speed and heart rate were evaluated, and abnormal QRS complexes were manually calculated based on surface ECGs.

Results

  • The findings showed that AF caused an average drop of 1.56 m/sec in the horses’ maximum speed.
  • The average heart rate in AF-induced horses rose from 226±11 bpm at the start to 311±27 bpm after 2 months. This figure was significantly higher in the AF group compared to the control group after two months, while no major difference was noted at the beginning of the experiment.
  • It was also discovered that three of the AF-induces horses had several episodes of tachycardia, a condition characterized by rapid heart rhythm, during the post-two-months exercise test.

Conclusions

  • The research concludes that atrial fibrillation leads to a significant reduction in a horse’s performance capacity. It causes an increase in heart rate and the development of abnormal QRS complexes during exercise.
  • This condition could be a risk factor for collapse or sudden cardiac death in horses, highlighting the importance of managing and monitoring heart health in racing horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Buhl R, Carstensen H, Hesselkilde EZ, Klein BZ, Hougaard KM, Ravn KB, Loft-Andersen AV, Fenner MF, Pipper C, Jespersen T. (2018). Effect of induced chronic atrial fibrillation on exercise performance in Standardbred trotters. J Vet Intern Med, 32(4), 1410-1419. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15137

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 32
Issue: 4
Pages: 1410-1419

Researcher Affiliations

Buhl, Rikke
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Carstensen, Helena
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Hesselkilde, Eva Zander
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Klein, Bjørg Zinkernagel
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Hougaard, Karen Margrethe
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ravn, Kirsten Bomberg
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Loft-Andersen, Ameli Victoria
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Fenner, Merle Friederike
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Pipper, Christian
  • Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jespersen, Thomas
  • Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Atrial Fibrillation / physiopathology
  • Atrial Fibrillation / veterinary
  • Electrocardiography / veterinary
  • Exercise Test / veterinary
  • Female
  • Heart Rate / physiology
  • Horse Diseases / physiopathology
  • Horses
  • Pacemaker, Artificial / veterinary
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology

References

This article includes 48 references
  1. Holmes JR. Cardiac arrhythmias on the racecourse.. Equine Exerc Physiol 1986;2:781–785.
  2. Reef VB, Reimer JM, Spencer PA. Treatment of atrial‐fibrillation in horses ‐ new perspectives.. J Vet Intern Med 1995;9:57–67.
    pubmed: 7760311
  3. Deegen E, Buntenkötter S. Behaviour of the heart rate of horses with auricular fibrillation during exercise and after treatment.. Equine Vet J 1976;8:26–29.
    pubmed: 1253777
  4. Leroux AA, Detilleux J, Sandersen CF. Prevalence and risk factors for cardiac diseases in a hospital‐based population of 3,434 horses (1994–2011).. J Vet Intern Med 2013;27:1563–1570.
    pubmed: 24112454
  5. Ohmura H, Hiraga A, Takahashi T, Kai M, Jones JH. Risk factors for atrial fibrillation during racing in slow‐finishing horses.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2003;223:84–88.
    pubmed: 12839069
  6. Slack J, Boston RC, Soma LR, Reef VB. Occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias in Standardbred racehorses.. Equine Vet J 2015;47:398–404.
    pubmed: 24819401
  7. Physick‐Sheard P, Kraus M, Basrur P, McGurrin K, Kenney D, Schenkel F. Breed predisposition and heritability of atrial fibrillation in the Standardbred horse: a retrospective case‐control study.. J Vet Cardiol 2014;16:173–184.
    pubmed: 25087649
  8. Karjalainen J, Kujala UM, Kaprio J, Sarna S, Viitasalo M. Lone atrial fibrillation in vigorously exercising middle aged men: case‐control study.. BMJ 1998;316:1784–1785.
    pmc: PMC28577pubmed: 9624065
  9. Pelliccia A, Maron BJ, Di Paolo FM. Prevalence and clinical significance of left atrial remodeling in competitive athletes.. J Am Coll Cardiol 2005;46:690–696.
    pubmed: 16098437
  10. Samet P, Bernstein W, Levine S. Significance of the atrial contribution to ventricular filling.. Am J Cardiol 1965;15:195–202.
    pubmed: 14254811
  11. Naito M, David D, Michelson EL, Schaffenburg M, Dreifus LS. The hemodynamic consequences of cardiac arrhythmias: evaluation of the relative roles of abnormal atrioventricular sequencing, irregularity of ventricular rhythm and atrial fibrillation in a canine model.. Am Heart J 1983;106:284–291.
    pubmed: 6869209
  12. Gehlen H, Stadler P. Comparison of systolic cardiac function before and after treatment of atrial fibrillation in horses with and without additional cardiac valve insufficiencies.. Vet Res Commun 2004;28:317–329.
    pubmed: 15222736
  13. Mitchell JH, Shapiro W. Atrial function and hemodynamic consequences of atrial fibrillation in man.. Am J Cardiol 1969;23:556–557.
    pubmed: 5781882
  14. Wright S, Sasson Z, Gray T. Left atrial phasic function interacts to support left ventricular filling during exercise in healthy athletes.. J Appl Physiol 2015;119:328–333.
    pubmed: 26139216
  15. Clark DM, Plumb VJ, Epstein AE, Kay GN. Hemodynamic effects of an irregular sequence of ventricular cycle lengths during atrial fibrillation.. J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;30:1039–1045.
    pubmed: 9316536
  16. Gehlen H, Bubeck K, Rohn K, Stadler P. Pulmonary artery wedge pressure during treadmill exercise in warmblood horses with atrial fibrillation.. Res Vet Sci 2006;81:134–139.
    pubmed: 16313932
  17. Verheyen T, Decloedt A, Van der Vekens N, Sys S, De Clercq D, van Loon G. Ventricular response during lungeing exercise in horses with lone atrial fibrillation.. Equine Vet J 2013;45:309–314.
    pubmed: 23094848
  18. Buhl R, Ersboll AK, Eriksen L, Koch J. Changes over time in echocardiographic measurements in young Standardbred racehorses undergoing training and racing and association with racing performance.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005;226:1881–1887.
    pubmed: 15934256
  19. van Loon G, Fonteyne W, Rottiers H. Dual‐chamber pacemaker implantation via the cephalic vein in healthy equids.. J Vet Intern Med 2001;15:564–571.
    pubmed: 11817062
  20. Flethoj M, Kanters JK, Haugaard MM. Changes in heart rate, arrhythmia frequency, and cardiac biomarker values in horses during recovery after a long‐distance endurance ride.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2016;248:1034–1042.
    pubmed: 27074612
  21. Reef VB, Bonagura J, Buhl R. Recommendations for management of equine athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities.. J Vet Intern Med 2014;28:749–761.
    pmc: PMC4895474pubmed: 24628586
  22. Kuznetsova A, Brockhoff PB, Christensen RHB. lmerTest package: Tests in linear mixed effects models.. J Stat Software 2017;82(13):1–26.
    doi: 10.18637/jss.v082.i13google scholar: lookup
  23. Hothorn T, Bretz F, Westfall P. Simultaneous inference in general parametric models.. Biometrical J 2008;50(3):346–363.
    pubmed: 18481363
  24. Deem DA, Fregin GF. Atrial‐fibrillation in horses ‐ a review of 106 clinical cases, with consideration of prevalence, clinical signs, and prognosis.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1982;180:261–265.
    pubmed: 7056674
  25. Vanhees L, Schepers D, Defoor J, Brusselle S, Tchursh N, Fagard R. Exercise performance and training in cardiac patients with atrial fibrillation.. J Cardiopulm Rehabil 2000;20:346–352.
    pubmed: 11144040
  26. Arts FJ, Kuipers H. The relation between power output, oxygen uptake and heart rate in male athletes.. Int J Sports Med 1994;15:228–231.
    pubmed: 7960315
  27. Jaber J, Cirenza C, Amaral A, Jaber J, Oliveira Filho JA, de Paola AA. Correlation between heart rate control during exercise and exercise capacity in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation.. Clin Cardiol 2011;34:533–536.
    pmc: PMC6652739pubmed: 21905041
  28. Meijler FL, Kroneman J, van der Tweel I, Herbschleb JN, Heethaar RM, Borst C. Nonrandom ventricular rhythm in horses with atrial‐fibrillation and its significance for patients.. J Am Coll Cardiol 1984;4:316–323.
    pubmed: 6736472
  29. Gelzer ARM, Moise NS, Vaidya D, Wagner KA, Jalife J. Temporal organization of atrial activity and irregular ventricular rhythm during spontaneous atrial fibrillation: an in vivo study in the horse.. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2000;11:773–784.
    pubmed: 10921795
  30. Kannankeril PJ, Goldberger JJ. Parasympathetic effects on cardiac electrophysiology during exercise and recovery.. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2002;282:H2091–H2098.
    pubmed: 12003816
  31. Atwood JE, Sullivan M, Forbes S. Effect of beta‐adrenergic blockade on exercise performance in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation.. J Am Coll Cardiol 1987;10:314–320.
    pubmed: 2885354
  32. Takahashi N, Ishibashi Y, Shimada T. Impaired exercise‐induced vasodilatation in chronic atrial fibrillation–role of endothelium‐derived nitric oxide.. Circ J 2002;66:583–588.
    pubmed: 12074278
  33. Hilliard AA, Miller TD, Hodge DO, Gibbons RJ. Heart rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation referred for exercise testing.. Am J Cardiol 2008;102:704–708.
    pubmed: 18773992
  34. Ueshima K, Myers J, Ribisl PM. Hemodynamic determinants of exercise capacity in chronic atrial fibrillation.. Am Heart J 1993;125:1301–1305.
    pubmed: 8480581
  35. Caminiti G, Fossati C, Rosano G, Volterrani M. Addition of ivabradine to betablockers in patients with atrial fibrillation: Effects on heart rate and exercise tolerance.. Int J Cardiol 2016;202:73–74.
    pubmed: 26386926
  36. Buhl R, Ersboll AK. Echocardiographic evaluation of changes in left ventricular size and valvular regurgitation associated with physical training during and after maturity in Standardbred trotters.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2012;240:205–212.
    pubmed: 22217030
  37. Physick‐Sheard PW, McGurrin MK. Ventricular arrhythmias during race recovery in standardbred racehorses and associations with autonomic activity.. J Vet Intern Med 2010;24:1158–1166.
    pubmed: 20584140
  38. Hsieh MH, Chen SA, Wen ZC. Effects of antiarrhythmic drugs on variability of ventricular rate and exercise performance in chronic atrial fibrillation complicated with ventricular arrhythmias.. Int J Cardiol 1998;64:37–45.
    pubmed: 9579815
  39. Pollack ML, Chan TC, Brady WJ. Electrocardiographic manifestations: aberrant ventricular conduction11Selected Topics: Cardiology Commentary is coordinated by Theodore C. Chan, MD, of the University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California.. J Emerg Med 2000;19:363–367.
    pubmed: 11074332
  40. Suyama AC, Sunagawa K, Sugimachi M, Anan T, Egashira K, Takeshita A. Differentiation between aberrant ventricular conduction and ventricular ectopy in atrial‐fibrillation using RR interval scattergram.. Circulation 1993;88:2307–2314.
    pubmed: 7693363
  41. Geor RJ, Weiss DJ, Smith CM. Hemorheologic alterations induced by incremental treadmill exercise in thoroughbreds.. Am J Vet Res 1994;55:854–861.
    pubmed: 7944028
  42. Weiss DJ, Geor RJ, Burger K. Effects of furosemide on hemorheologic alterations induced by incremental treadmill exercise in Thoroughbreds.. Am J Vet Res 1996;57:891–895.
    pubmed: 8725819
  43. Lovell DK, Rose RJ. Effects of post exercise activity on recovery from maximal exercise.. Equine Vet J 1995;27:188–190.
  44. He YM, Yang XJ, Hui J. Low serum albumin levels in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: what does it mean?. Acta Cardiol 2006;61:333–337.
    pubmed: 16869456
  45. Cheng T, Wang XF, Hou YT, Zhang L. Correlation between atrial fibrillation, serum amyloid protein A and other inflammatory cytokines.. Mol Med Rep 2012;6:581–584.
    pubmed: 22684635
  46. Persson SG. Heart rate and blood lactate responses to submaximal treadmill exercise in the normally performing standardbred trotter ‐ Age and sex variations and predictability from the total red blood cell volume.. J Vet Med A 1997;44:125–132.
    pubmed: 9197201
  47. Lyle CH, Turley G, Blissitt KJ. Retrospective evaluation of episodic collapse in the horse in a referred population: 25 cases (1995–2009).. J Vet Intern Med 2010;24:1498–1502.
    pubmed: 21039868
  48. Kirchhof P, Benussi S, Kotecha D. 2016 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS.. Eur Heart J 2016;37:2893–2962.
    pubmed: 27567408

Citations

This article has been cited 12 times.
  1. Kjeldsen ST, Nissen SD, Christensen NC, Haugaard SL, Schneider MJ, Vinther Z, Sattler SM, Carstensen H, Jøns C, Hopster-Iversen C, Buhl R. Validation and clinical application of implantable loop recorders for diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in horses. Equine Vet J 2025 Mar;57(2):449-458.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.14112pubmed: 39031582google scholar: lookup
  2. Nath LC, Elliott A, La Gerche A, Weir J, Forbes G, Thomas G, Franklin S. Associations between postrace atrial fibrillation and measures of performance, racing history and airway disease in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Nov-Dec;37(6):2573-2583.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16878pubmed: 37740606google scholar: lookup
  3. Darbandi H, Munsters C, Parmentier J, Havinga P. Detecting fatigue of sport horses with biomechanical gait features using inertial sensors. PLoS One 2023;18(4):e0284554.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284554pubmed: 37058516google scholar: lookup
  4. Carstensen H, Nissen SD, Saljic A, Hesselkilde EM, van Hunnik A, Hohl M, Sattler SM, Fløgstad C, Hopster-Iversen C, Verheule S, Böhm M, Schotten U, Jespersen T, Buhl R. Long-Term Training Increases Atrial Fibrillation Sustainability in Standardbred Racehorses. J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2023 Oct;16(5):1205-1219.
    doi: 10.1007/s12265-023-10378-6pubmed: 37014465google scholar: lookup
  5. Burns JJ, MacMillan KM, John EE. Retrospective review of atrial fibrillation in Standardbred racehorses at a tertiary care facility in Atlantic Canada. Can Vet J 2022 Oct;63(10):1051-1056.
    pubmed: 36185789
  6. Huang YH, Lyle JV, Ab Razak AS, Nandi M, Marr CM, Huang CL, Aston PJ, Jeevaratnam K. Detecting paroxysmal atrial fibrillation from normal sinus rhythm in equine athletes using Symmetric Projection Attractor Reconstruction and machine learning. Cardiovasc Digit Health J 2022 Apr;3(2):96-106.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cvdhj.2022.02.001pubmed: 35493267google scholar: lookup
  7. Nissen SD, Weis R, Krag-Andersen EK, Hesselkilde EM, Isaksen JL, Carstensen H, Kanters JK, Linz D, Sanders P, Hopster-Iversen C, Jespersen T, Pehrson S, Buhl R. Electrocardiographic characteristics of trained and untrained standardbred racehorses. J Vet Intern Med 2022 May;36(3):1119-1130.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16427pubmed: 35488721google scholar: lookup
  8. Kjeldsen ST, Nissen SD, Buhl R, Hopster-Iversen C. Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Horses: Pathophysiology, Diagnostics and Clinical Aspects. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 10;12(6).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12060698pubmed: 35327097google scholar: lookup
  9. Buhl R, Hesselkilde EM, Carstensen H, Hopster-Iversen C, van Loon G, Decloedt A, Van Steenkiste G, Marr CM, Reef VB, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ, Nostell K, Nogradi N, Nielsen SS, Carlson J, Platonov PG. Atrial fibrillatory rate as predictor of recurrence of atrial fibrillation in horses treated medically or with electrical cardioversion. Equine Vet J 2022 Nov;54(6):1013-1022.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13551pubmed: 34957586google scholar: lookup
  10. Nath LC, Elliott AD, Weir J, Curl P, Rosanowski SM, Franklin S. Incidence, recurrence, and outcome of postrace atrial fibrillation in Thoroughbred horses. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Mar;35(2):1111-1120.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16063pubmed: 33604980google scholar: lookup
  11. Buhl R, Nissen SD, Winther MLK, Poulsen SK, Hopster-Iversen C, Jespersen T, Sanders P, Carstensen H, Hesselkilde EM. Implantable loop recorders can detect paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in Standardbred racehorses with intermittent poor performance. Equine Vet J 2021 Sep;53(5):955-963.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13372pubmed: 33113157google scholar: lookup
  12. Buhl R, Hesselkilde EM, Carstensen H, Fenner MF, Jespersen T, Tfelt-Hansen J, Michael Sattler S. Detection of atrial fibrillation with implantable loop recorders in horses. Equine Vet J 2021 Mar;53(2):397-403.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13301pubmed: 32506470google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,970 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.