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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Respiratory oscillometry testing in relation to exercise in ...
Equine veterinary journal2024; doi: 10.1111/evj.14065

Respiratory oscillometry testing in relation to exercise in healthy and asthmatic Thoroughbreds.

Abstract: Racehorses may experience exercise-induced bronchodilation or bronchoconstriction, with potential differences between healthy and asthmatic individuals. Objective: To identify exercise-related lung function variations by oscillometry in racehorses, compare lung function between healthy and mild equine asthma (MEA) horses, assess oscillometry's potential as a predictor of racing fitness. Methods: Prospective case-control clinical study. Methods: Fourteen Thoroughbred racehorses (5 healthy, 9 MEA) underwent a protocol including respiratory oscillometry at rest, exercise with fitness monitoring, oscillometry at 15 and 45 min post-exercise, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) cytology. Oscillometry parameters (resistance [Rrs] and reactance [Xrs]) were compared within and between healthy and MEA groups at different timepoints. Associations between Rrs and Xrs at rest and 15 min post-exercise and BALf cytology and fitness indices were evaluated. Results: MEA horses showed higher Rrs at 15 min post-exercise (0.6 ± 0.2 cmH O/L/s) than healthy horses (0.3 ± 0.1 cmH O/L/s) (p < 0.01). In healthy horses, Rrs decreased at 15 min post-exercise compared with resting values (0.5 ± 0.1 cmH O/L/s) (p = 0.04). In MEA horses, oscillometry parameters did not vary with time. Post-exercise Xrs inversely correlated with total haemosiderin score (p < 0.01, r  = 0.51). Resting Rrs inversely correlated with speed at 200 bpm (p = 0.03, r  = -0.61), and Xrs with maximum heart rate (HR) during exercise (p = 0.02, r  = -0.62). Post-exercise Rrs inversely correlated with mean (p = 0.04, r  = -0.60) and maximum speed (p = 0.04, r  = -0.60), and HR variability (p < 0.01, r  = -0.74). Conclusions: Small sample size, oscillometry repeatability not assessed, potential interference of upper airway obstructions, external variables influencing fitness indices. Conclusions: Oscillometry identified lung function differences between healthy and MEA horses at 15 min post-exercise. Only healthy horses exhibited exercise-induced bronchodilation. Oscillometry showed potential in predicting subclinical airway obstruction.
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Publication Date: 2024-01-21 PubMed ID: 38247256DOI: 10.1111/evj.14065Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This scientific study explores the respiratory responses to exercise in both healthy and mildly asthmatic racehorses using a method known as oscillometry. It finds that the two groups respond differently, and oscillometry could potentially be used to indicate subclinical airway obstruction in horses.

Research Methodology

  • The study was prospective and case-control in nature, consisting of a sample of fourteen Thoroughbred racehorses – 5 were healthy and 9 had mild equine asthma (MEA).
  • The study protocol involved conducting initial tests of respiratory oscillometry while the horses were at rest, followed by an exercise period with fitness monitoring, and then another two oscillometry tests conducted at 15 and 45 minutes after exercise.
  • A bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) cytology was carried out to examine the minute branches of the bronchial tree and the entities located there.
  • Resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) were the key oscillometry parameters that were compared at various time points between the healthy horses and the ones with MEA.

Key Findings

  • The MEA horses showed a higher resistance 15 minutes after exercise compared to the healthy horses. This suggests they were having more difficulty moving air in and out of their lungs.
  • In contrast, the healthy horses had a decrease in resistance at 15 minutes post-exercise, suggesting their airways were getting wider – a phenomenon called exercise-induced bronchodilation.
  • No significant changes were found in the oscillometry parameters over time for the MEA horses.
  • The study also found significant correlations between resistance and reactance results and several fitness and cytology indices. For example, reactance after exercise was inversely correlated with the total haemosiderin score (an indicator of lung bleeding), and resistance at rest inversely correlated with speed at 200 bpm.

Conclusions and Limitations

  • The researchers concluded that the differences in lung function between healthy and MEA horses were identifiable 15 minutes post-exercise using oscillometry. Only the healthy horses showed exercise-induced bronchodilation.
  • The measured oscillometry parameters also potentially pointed towards subclinical airway obstruction in some cases.
  • The study notes its limitations, which include a small sample size, the unmeasured reliability of oscillometry, the potential interference of obstructions in the upper airway, and the influence of external variables on fitness indices.

Cite This Article

APA
(2024). Respiratory oscillometry testing in relation to exercise in healthy and asthmatic Thoroughbreds. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14065

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

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