Relationship between hair elements and severity of atrioventricular block in horses.

This research article explores the relationship between the concentration of various trace elements in horse mane hair and the severity of second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block, a type of cardiac malfunction, in these animals.

Research Methodology

• The study involved continuous recording of horses’ electrocardiographs for a duration of six hours using a holter cardiac monitor. This helped in identifying any dropped ventricular beats (DVBs), which can be used as an indicator of the severity of the AV block.
• The concentrations of specific elements – calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn) – in mane hair samples were measured using the particle-induced X-ray emission method.

Key Findings

• The research found a significant and positive correlation between the Ca concentration and the Zn/Cu ratio in the horse mane hair and the hourly DVBs in horses with a second-degree AV block.
• The statistical significance of these relationships was demonstrated with probabilities less than 0.01 for the Zn/Cu ratio and less than 0.05 for Ca, suggesting that these findings are statistically highly likely to be accurate.
• Proposed diagnostic cutoff points for detecting second-degree AV block were established for hair Ca concentration (1536 micrograms/gram) and Zn/Cu ratio (26.0), based on the analysis of receiver operating characteristics curves.

Implications of the Findings

• The study suggests that the method used to evaluate the Ca, Cu, Mg, and Zn concentrations in horse mane hair is strongly related to the severity of second-degree AV block.
• This method could be used to predict an individual horse’s susceptibility to develop second-degree AV block much before the appearance of actual symptoms.
• Using such a predictive model could help in earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of cardiac problems in horses.