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Quantitative analysis of stress echocardiograms in healthy horses with 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography, anatomical M-mode, tissue Doppler imaging, and 2D speckle tracking.
Abstract: Stress echocardiography is used to diagnose myocardial dysfunction in horses, but current methods are not well standardized. The influence of heart rate (HR) on measurements is largely unknown. Objective: To investigate the use of 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), anatomical M-mode (AMM), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and 2D speckle tracking (2DST) at rest and after exercise for quantification of regional and global left-ventricular (LV) function. Methods: Five athletic Warmblood horses; 11.6+/-3.6 years; 529+/-48 kg. Methods: Prospective study. Three separate echocardiographic examinations were performed before (baseline) and over 5 minutes after treadmill exercise with 2DE (1st, short-axis view; 2nd, long-axis view) and pulsed-wave TDI (3rd examination). Offline analyses were performed at baseline and after exercise at HR 120, 110, 100, 90, and 80 minute(-1). Global and segmental measurements were compared by analysis of variance. Results: Quantitative analyses of stress echocardiograms were feasible in all horses. None of the AMM indices changed significantly after exercise. Stroke volume and ejection fraction by 2DE and strain by 2DST decreased, whereas strain rate by 2DST increased significantly at HR>100 minute(-1). TDI analyses were technically difficult and provided little additional information. Conclusions: Volumetric indices by 2DE and strain and strain rate by 2DST are applicable for quantitative assessment of stress echocardiograms. In healthy horses, they are significantly altered at a HR>100 minute(-1) and need to be evaluated in view of the instantaneous HR. Further investigations are needed to define the clinical value of stress echocardiography in horses with cardiac disease.
Publication Date: 2010-06-18 PubMed ID: 20561187DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0542.xGoogle 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.
- Journal Article
- Athletic Horses
- Cardiovascular Health
- Clinical Study
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease Diagnosis
- Echocardiography
- Equine Health
- Exercise
- Exercise Physiology
- Heart
- Heart Rate
- Imaging Techniques
- Physiology
- Quantitative Analysis
- Stress
- Tissue
- Treadmill Exercise
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
- Warmblood Horses
Summary
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This research studies the use of different cardiac diagnostic methods to understand heart function in athletic horses, both at rest and post-exercise. The study aims to refine these methods and provide more information about how heart rate influences these measurements.
Objective
- The objective of this study was to compare the effects of different diagnostic tools – 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), anatomical M-mode (AMM), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and 2D speckle tracking (2DST) – on the assessment of left ventricular function in healthy, athletic horses, at rest and post-exercise.
Methods
- Five healthy Warmblood horses (11.6+/-3.6 years; 529+/-48 kg) were used for this prospective study.
- Each horse was subjected to three separate echocardiographic examinations, at rest (baseline), and at 5 minutes intervals after exercise. These examinations were conducted using 2DE and pulsed-wave TDI.
- The 2DE scans were done from two different angles – short-axis view and long-axis view – to capture a comprehensive image of the heart’s structures and functions.
- The different heart function measurements from each examination were then analyzed offline and compared at various heart rates – 120, 110, 100, 90, and 80 beats per minute.
Results
- All the stress echocardiograms could be analyzed using quantitative methods.
- It was found that volume measurements by 2DE and strain and strain rate by 2DST decreased after exercise, showing significant changes in these parameters at a heart rate above 100 beats per minute.
- All the measurements from the anatomical M-mode (AMM) method didn’t significantly change compared to the baseline, indicating this tool’s limitations in evaluating heart function post exercise.
- TDI analysis was technically challenging and produced limited additional data, suggesting it may not be the most suitable method for these analyses.
Conclusion
- These findings suggest that 2DE and 2DST can be effective tools for analyzing stress echocardiograms, delivering significant and insightful data at higher heart rates.
- However, the study notes that the changes in measurements at heart rates above 100 beats per minute need to be interpreted in the context of the instantaneous heart rate.
- The study concludes by highlighting the need for further research to determine the clinical value of stress echocardiography in horses with cardiac diseases, thereby extending applicability beyond healthy horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Schefer KD, Bitschnau C, Weishaupt MA, Schwarzwald CC.
(2010).
Quantitative analysis of stress echocardiograms in healthy horses with 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography, anatomical M-mode, tissue Doppler imaging, and 2D speckle tracking.
J Vet Intern Med, 24(4), 918-931.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0542.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Echocardiography, Stress / methods
- Echocardiography, Stress / veterinary
- Exercise Test / veterinary
- Female
- Heart Ventricles / anatomy & histology
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Ventricular Function / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 16 times.- Berthoud D, Schwarzwald CC. Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular size and systolic function in Warmblood horses using linear measurements, area-based indices, and volume estimates: A retrospective database analysis. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Jan;35(1):504-520.
- Leroux AA, Moonen M, Farnir F, Deleuze S, Sandersen C, Amory H. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in goats: repeatability, variability, and validation of the technique using an exercise test and an experimentally induced acute ischemic cardiomyopathy. BMC Vet Res 2020 Feb 14;16(1):56.
- 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.
- Frick L, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ. The use of heart rate variability analysis to detect arrhythmias in horses undergoing a standard treadmill exercise test. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Jan;33(1):212-224.
- Gehlen H, Bildheim LM. Speckle-tracking analysis of myocardial deformation in correlation to age in healthy horses. J Vet Sci 2018 Sep 30;19(5):676-682.
- Gunther-Harrington CT, Arthur R, Estell K, Martinez Lopez B, Sinnott A, Ontiveros E, Varga A, Stern JA. Prospective pre- and post-race evaluation of biochemical, electrophysiologic, and echocardiographic indices in 30 racing thoroughbred horses that received furosemide. BMC Vet Res 2018 Jan 18;14(1):18.
- 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.
- Trachsel DS, Giraudet A, Maso D, Hervé G, Hauri DD, Barrey E, Robert C. Relationships between body dimensions, body weight, age, gender, breed and echocardiographic dimensions in young endurance horses. BMC Vet Res 2016 Oct 10;12(1):226.
- Huesler IM, Mitchell KJ, Schwarzwald CC. Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Atrial Size and Function in Warmblood Horses: Reference Intervals, Allometric Scaling, and Agreement of Different Echocardiographic Variables. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jul;30(4):1241-52.
- 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.
- Berli AS, Jud Schefer R, Steininger K, Schwarzwald CC. The use of strain, strain rate, and displacement by 2D speckle tracking for assessment of systolic left ventricular function in goats: applicability and influence of general anesthesia. Cardiovasc Ultrasound 2015 Mar 17;13:11.
- Mandour AS, Samir H, Farag A, Hamabe L, Matsuura K, Yoshida T, Watanabe G, Tanaka R. Concomitant changes in regional myocardial deformation and intraventricular pressure gradients in normal and sedated goats: advanced multimodal echocardiographic study. BMC Vet Res 2025 Nov 15;21(1):667.
- Mendoza FJ, Buzon-Cuevas A, Aguilera-Aguilera R, Gonzalez-De Cara CA, De Las Heras A, Perez-Ecija A. Hemodynamic Response to Lipopolysaccharide Infusion and Effect of Meloxicam Administration on Cardiac Function in Donkeys. Animals (Basel) 2024 Dec 18;14(24).
- Ramos GV, Santos MM, Gava FN, de Lacerda-Neto JC. Effects of conditioning on the left ventricular function of young purebred Arabian horses. PLoS One 2024;19(6):e0304724.
- 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.
- Santos MM, Ramos GV, de Figueiredo IM, Silva TCBV, Lacerda-Neto JC. Cardiac Changes after Lactate-Guided Conditioning in Young Purebred Arabian Horses. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 29;13(11).
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