Indirect Blood Pressure Measurement in Horses: Is There an Influence of Age, Sex, Breed, Bodyweight, and Cardiac Diseases on Pressure Values?

The research study investigates how factors like age, sex, breed, bodyweight, and cardiac disease and its severity affect blood pressure values in horses. The study found that age significantly influences diastolic pressure in healthy horses, and that the presence of cardiac dilation in horses with heart disease significantly affects both systolic and diastolic pressures.

Study Design and Methodology

• The research was a case-control study that employed indirect blood pressure measurement in 60 horses with various types of cardiac disease, and in a control group of 23 healthy horses.
• The method used for blood pressure measurement was an ultrasonic blood-flow technique, which measures blood pressure non-invasively.
• The horses with cardiac abnormalities were categorized into two groups based on their echocardiographic findings – those with cardiac dimension modifications and those without.
• A multivariable linear regression analysis was carried out to examine the potential influence of the variables – age, breed, sex, and the presence and severity of cardiac diseases – on blood pressure values.

Key Findings

• The study found a significant influence of age on diastolic blood pressure in healthy horses. Diastolic pressure refers to the blood pressure when the heart is in between beats. This implies that older horses maintain a higher diastolic pressure compared to younger ones.
• Fundamental results showed that the presence of cardiac dilation in horses with cardiac disease significantly influences both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Systolic pressure is the maximum pressure during one heartbeat, while diastolic pressure is the minimum pressure between two heartbeats. Cardiac dilation is a condition that occurs when the heart’s chambers are enlarged.
• Single-regressor linear analysis found that horses with cardiac dilation are significantly older than both horses without cardiac dimensional changes and those in the control group.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Though the study provides valuable insights, it concludes that more research is needed to investigate the potential influence of different types of cardiac diseases on the blood pressure of horses.
• Understanding these influences would contribute to improved diagnosis, treatment and management strategies for cardiac diseases in horses.