Review of furosemide in horse racing: its effects and regulation.
Abstract: Furosemide has been used empirically and has been legally approved for many years by the US racing industry for the control of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) or bleeding. Its use in horses for this purpose is highly controversial and has been criticized by organizations outside and inside of the racing industry. This review concentrates on its renal and extra-renal actions and the possible relationship of these actions to the modification of EIPH and changes in performance of horses. The existing literature references suggest that furosemide has the potential of increasing performance in horses without significantly changing the bleeding status. The pulmonary capillary transmural pressure in the exercising horse is estimated to be over 100 mmHg. The pressure reduction produced by the administration of furosemide is not of sufficient magnitude to reduce transmural pressures within the capillaries to a level where pressures resulting in rupture of the capillaries, and thus haemorrhage, would be completely prevented. This is substantiated by clinical observations that the administration of furosemide to horses with EIPH may reduce haemorrhage but does not completely stop it. The unanswered question is whether the improvement of racing times which have been shown in a number of studies are due to the reduction in bleeding or to other actions of furosemide. This review also discusses the difficulties encountered in furosemide regulation, in view of its diuretic actions and potential for the reduction in the ability of forensic laboratories to detect drugs and medications administered to a horse within days or hours before a race. Interactions between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and furosemide have also been examined, and the results suggest that the effects of prior administration of NSAID may partially mitigate the renal and extra-renal effects which may contribute to the effects of furosemide on EIPH.
Publication Date: 1998-07-23 PubMed ID: 9673965DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2885.1998.00132.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
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The research article is an in-depth review of the use of furosemide in horse racing, exploring its effects on horse performance and the controversies surrounding its regulation. Significant focus is placed on the role of this drug in managing exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) and the consequent implications on horse performance.
Use and Controversy of Furosemide in Horse Racing
- The review primarily discusses the role of furosemide in the regulation of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), a condition causing bleeding in racehorses during strenuous activity.
- It highlights the controversy surrounding furosemide’s usage in horse racing due to its potential to enhance performance. While legal in the US racing industry, it has faced criticism from various organizations both inside and outside the industry.
Potential Performance Enhancement
- The research delves into furosemide’s renal and extra-renal actions, shedding light on how they possibly affect EIPH and performance alterations in horses.
- Analysis from the collected literature implies that furosemide can potentially enhance the performance of horses without significantly altering their bleeding status. However, it doesn’t conclusively prove whether the observed improvement in racing times is due to reduced bleeding or other effects of furosemide.
Reduction in Pulmonary Haemorrhage
- The pulmonary capillary transmural pressure in exercising horses can exceed 100 mmHg, and the administration of furosemide reduces this high pressure.
- However, the magnitude of this reduction is insufficient to completely prevent the rupture of capillaries and subsequent bleeding; it merely attenuates haemorrhage, an assertion supported by clinical observations that horses with EIPH still bleed despite furosemide administration.
Regulatory Challenges and NSAID Interactions
- The review also addresses the regulatory challenges concerning furosemide due to its diuretic effects and potential to impair the detection of other drugs administered to a horse shortly before a race.
- The article analyzes the interactions between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and furosemide, suggesting that prior NSAID administration may partly counterbalance the renal and extra-renal effects of furosemide that might contribute to its impact on EIPH.
Cite This Article
APA
Soma LR, Uboh CE.
(1998).
Review of furosemide in horse racing: its effects and regulation.
J Vet Pharmacol Ther, 21(3), 228-240.
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2885.1998.00132.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square 19348, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / administration & dosage
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use
- Diuresis / drug effects
- Diuretics / administration & dosage
- Diuretics / therapeutic use
- Drug Interactions
- Furosemide / administration & dosage
- Furosemide / therapeutic use
- Hemorrhage / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / prevention & control
- Horses
- Lung Diseases / veterinary
- Sports / legislation & jurisprudence
- United States
- Water-Electrolyte Balance / drug effects
References
This article includes 103 references
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Kwak YB, Lee E, Choi H, Park T, Kim A, Kim J, Yoon J, Yoo HH. A pharmacokinetic study on red ginseng with furosemide in equine. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1319998.
- Banihashemi SH, Samimi AS, Samimi K, Tajik J. Effects of double intravenous furosemide administration at different doses on clinical variables, electrocardiographic indices and serum electrolytes in miniature donkeys. Vet Res Forum 2023;14(1):53-57.
- 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.
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