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Journal of veterinary internal medicine2025; 39(5); e70237; doi: 10.1111/jvim.70237

Reference Values and Association of Body Weight, Age, and Sex With Echocardiographic Measurements in Non-Athletic Quarter Horses.

Abstract: Echocardiographic reference intervals for Quarter Horses are infrequently reported. Objective: To provide standard echocardiographic measurements for sedentary Quarter Horses and evaluate the relationship between physical characteristics (body weight, age, sex) and echocardiographic measurements. Methods: Forty-one sedentary Quarter Horses, free of cardiac disease, from a university research herd. Methods: A cross-sectional study evaluating standardized echocardiograms performed on sedentary Quarter Horses (41) between 2020 and 2022. Reference intervals were calculated for raw and weight-corrected values. Multiple linear regression was performed to evaluate the relationship between the physical characteristics (body weight, age, sex) and echocardiographic variables. Results: Multiple linear regression showed that every 100 kg of body weight was associated with a 3 (95% CI 1-6) mm thicker left ventricular free wall in systole (p = 0.02), an 8 (95% CI 2-13) mm larger left atrial diameter (p < 0.01), and a 4 (95% CI 0-9) mm larger pulmonary artery diameter (p = 0.04). Every year in age was associated with a 0 (95% CI 0-1) mm larger left atrial diameter (p = 0.02), a 0 (95% CI 0-1) mm larger aortic diameter (p = 0.01), and a 0 (95% CI 0-1) mm larger pulmonary artery diameter (p = 0.01). Left atrial to left ventricular ratio was 1 (95% CI -1 to 0) mm smaller in geldings compared to mares (p = 0.03). Conclusions: This study provides echocardiographic reference intervals for a cohort of sedentary Quarter Horses and clarifies the association with body weight, age, and sex with these variables.
Publication Date: 2025-09-11 PubMed ID: 40931454PubMed Central: PMC12423106DOI: 10.1111/jvim.70237Google Scholar: Lookup
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Cite This Article

APA
Selecky ME, Louie EW, Donnelly C, Finno CJ, Morgan JM. (2025). Reference Values and Association of Body Weight, Age, and Sex With Echocardiographic Measurements in Non-Athletic Quarter Horses. J Vet Intern Med, 39(5), e70237. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70237

Publication

ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 39
Issue: 5
Pages: e70237
PII: e70237

Researcher Affiliations

Selecky, Madeline E
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Louie, Elizabeth Williams
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Donnelly, Callum
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Finno, Carrie J
  • Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Morgan, Jessica M
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses / anatomy & histology
  • Horses / physiology
  • Echocardiography / veterinary
  • Male
  • Female
  • Reference Values
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Body Weight
  • Age Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Heart / anatomy & histology
  • Heart / diagnostic imaging

Grant Funding

  • D21EQ-050 / Morris Animal Foundation
  • University of California, Davis Provost Undergraduate Fellowship
  • UC Davis Center for Equine Health

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors declare no off‐label use of antimicrobials. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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