Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Oral glucose test predicts laminitis risk in ponies on high-carb diet
By Meier, A D et al.·Published in Domestic animal endocrinology·2018·Environmental and Biological Sciences School, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The oral glucose test predicts laminitis risk in ponies fed a diet high in nonstructural carbohydrates.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A group of ponies was tested for laminitis, a painful hoof condition, after being fed a diet high in sugars. The ponies underwent an oral glucose test, and those that showed higher insulin and glucose levels were more likely to develop laminitis. Out of 37 ponies, 14 developed mild to moderate laminitis after being on the high-sugar diet for a short period. The study found that monitoring insulin levels could help predict which ponies are at risk for this condition, allowing for better management of their diets to prevent laminitis.
People also search for: pony laminitis symptoms · high sugar diet ponies · insulin levels laminitis risk
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between laminitis development in ponies and insulin/glucose concentrations in response to the oral glucose test (OGT) and a dietary challenge high in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs). After undergoing an OGT (1 g dextrose/kg BW in feed), 37 ponies with 2-h serum insulin concentrations ranging from 22 to 1,133 μIU/mL were subjected to a diet challenge period (DCP), consuming 12 g NSC/kg BW/d for up to 18 d. Insulin and glucose responses were measured on day 2 of the DCP. Clinical laminitis was diagnosed by blinded experts and confirmed radiographically. Basal ACTH levels and clinical signs were assessed to investigate concurrent putative pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). The diet induced Obel grade 1 or 2 laminitis in 14 ponies (38%). The ponies that developed laminitis had higher maximum concentrations of blood glucose (P = 0.04) and serum insulin (P = 0.02) in response to the diet. The geometric mean (95% CI) blood glucose concentration for laminitis cases was 14.9 (12.9-17.2) mM, compared to 10.7 (9.2-12.5) mM for ponies who did not develop laminitis. Similarly, the geometric mean (95% CI) for serum insulin was 396 (301-520) μIU/mL for laminitis cases, compared to 216 (148-316) μIU/mL for ponies who did not develop laminitis. Laminitis incidence was likewise associated with insulin concentrations measured during the OGT. Laminitis occurred at frequencies of 0% (0/7) if postdextrose insulin (μIU/mL) was <50; 35% (8/23) if insulin was 50 to 195; and 86% (6/7) if insulin was >195 μIU/mL. Basal ACTH concentrations were above seasonally accepted reference ranges in 16/37 ponies, and 8 of these animals (50%) developed laminitis. This included all 5 ponies in the study that had clinical signs of PPID (100%). In contrast, hyperinsulinemia and laminitis occurred in only 3/11 ponies (27%) with elevated ACTH concentrations and no clinical signs of PPID (P = 0.009). Thus, laminitis occurrence was associated with higher glucose and insulin responses to both the OGT and challenge diet, and the frequency of laminitis can be predicted based on insulin and glucose hyperresponsiveness to these oral carbohydrate challenges.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29172109/