Pulmonary Artery Pulse Wave Velocity
Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) refers to bleeding into the airways experienced by some horses while performing high-intense exercise. This condition is more commonly reported in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses, but horses in other sport disciplines such as jumping, dressage and polo can be affected as well. Since EIPH can bring great medical, economical, and welfare burden to the equine racing industry, research in this area is deemed very important.
Arterial wall remodeling (calcification and fibrosis) occurs in racehorses and is the most important cause of vascular stiffness in humans. There is growing evidence to support the hypothesis that excessive pressure pulsatility resulting from arterial stiffness promotes abnormalities in micro-vascular structure and function, contributing to end-organ damage and dysfunction in racehorses.
Evaluating pulse wave velocity in an EIPH-affected
horse while exercising on a treadmill
The objectives of this research include the following:
To determine the pulse wave velocity (PWV, a surrogate of vascular stiffness), and pulse pressure in EIPH-affected horses
To determine the potential correlation between altered vascular hemodynamics and EIPH-affected horses.
To determine the correlation between pulmonary artery hemodynamics with the histological findings in blood vessels and lung parenchyma.
(Click pictures for descriptions and full size images.)
Funded by:
Related Publications:
Gomez D, Arroyo LG, and Silva G. (2016). Determination of pulmonary artery pulse wave velocity in horses. American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Annual Meeting; Denver, CO.