Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Laminitis and the equine metabolic syndrome.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Johnson, Philip J et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Laminitis is a painful condition in horses that can be linked to various health issues, especially obesity and insulin resistance (IR), which is when the body doesn't respond properly to insulin. Many cases of laminitis seen by veterinarians happen when horses graze on pasture, particularly during certain seasons. Researchers have identified a group of horses at higher risk for laminitis due to these metabolic problems, and this condition is referred to as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Essentially, if a horse is overweight and has issues with insulin, it may be more likely to develop laminitis. Understanding these connections can help in managing and preventing this painful condition in horses.
Abstract
Although much has been written about laminitis in the context of its association with inflammatory processes, recognition is growing that most cases of laminitis examined by veterinarians in private practice are those associated with pasture grazing, obesity, and insulin resistance (IR). The term 'endocrinopathic laminitis' has been adopted to classify the instances of laminitis in which the origin seems to be more strongly associated with an underlying endocrinopathy, such as either IR or the influence of corticosteroids. Results of a recent study suggest that obesity and IR represent the most common metabolic and endocrinopathic predispositions for laminitis in horses. IR also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of laminitis that develops when some horses or ponies are allowed to graze pastures at certain times of the year. The term equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) has been proposed as a label for horses whose clinical examination results (including both physical examination and laboratory testing) suggest heightened risk for developing laminitis as a result of underlying IR.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20699172/