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Home / Equine Research Bank / Genes (Basel) / Equine Metabolic Syndrome: A Complex Disease Influenced by M...
Genes2023; 14(8); 1544; doi: 10.3390/genes14081544

Equine Metabolic Syndrome: A Complex Disease Influenced by Multifactorial Genetic Factors.

Abstract: Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) has become an important issue in modern veterinary medicine and is linked to the common, extremely painful, most-of-the-time performance-terminating hoof laminitis. The growing knowledge in the field of genetic background, inducing environmental factors, diagnosis, treatment and maintenance of affected equines led us to summarise the available information to be used not only for scientific purposes but for fieldwork. In horses, the clinical presentation of EMS includes: obesity or local fat deposition, bilateral lameness or hoof rings attributed to ongoing or previous (pasted) laminitis with the key feature of the occurrence of insulin dysregulation, disturbing the homeostasis within insulin, glucose and lipid metabolism. The management of EMS is based on dietary and fitness discipline; however, intensive research is ongoing in the field of regenerative medicine to develop modern and promising therapies.
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Publication Date: 2023-07-27 PubMed ID: 37628596PubMed Central: PMC10454496DOI: 10.3390/genes14081544Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 research article reviews the latest knowledge on equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), a complex disorder affecting horses which is associated with the painful condition laminitis, focusing on its genetic causes, environmental triggers, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)

  • EMS has emerged as a significant concern in contemporary veterinary medicine, primarily because it’s linked to the onset of laminitis, a painful condition of the horse’s hoof that can end their performance careers.
  • The disease displays itself in horses through obesity or localized fat deposits, bi-lateral lameness or hoof rings related to ongoing or past instances of laminitis. The primary feature, however, is insulin dysregulation that disrupts the balance within insulin, glucose, and lipid metabolism.

Genetic Background

  • The researchers highlight the key role genetic factors play in EMS. Although it’s a multifactorial disease — meaning it’s influenced by several factors — genetic predispositions contribute to its development. Such genetic elements, they explain, could help identify horses at high risk for EMS.

Environmental Factors

  • The research also discusses the environmental factors that can induce EMS. Although they don’t specify what these factors are, it implies that certain environmental conditions could either exacerbate the genetic predispositions or directly contribute to disease onset.

Diagnosis and Management

  • The article provides information about diagnosing EMS in horses. Detecting the disease early could help manage its progression and potentially avoid the onset of laminitis.
  • Dietary and fitness discipline form the basis of EMS management, indicating the importance of horse owners and caretakers maintaining a healthy lifestyle for their animals to prevent or manage the condition.

Current Research in Management and Therapy

  • At present, there is ongoing intensive research in the field of regenerative medicine. The goal is to develop innovative and promising therapies that could potentially address the root cause of the disease or provide a more effective management technique.

Cite This Article

APA
Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Piórkowska K, Ropka-Molik K. (2023). Equine Metabolic Syndrome: A Complex Disease Influenced by Multifactorial Genetic Factors. Genes (Basel), 14(8), 1544. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14081544

Publication

Genes
ISSN: 2073-4425
NlmUniqueID: 101551097
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 8
PII: 1544

Researcher Affiliations

Stefaniuk-Szmukier, Monika
  • Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Krakowska 1, 32-083 Balice, Poland.
Piórkowska, Katarzyna
  • Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Krakowska 1, 32-083 Balice, Poland.
Ropka-Molik, Katarzyna
  • Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Krakowska 1, 32-083 Balice, Poland.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Metabolic Syndrome / genetics
  • Metabolic Syndrome / veterinary
  • Obesity / genetics
  • Insulin
  • Genetic Background
  • Glucose

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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