10.1093/jn/136.7.2090S.
Authors: Kronfeld, Treiber, Hess, Splan, Byrd, Staniar, White
Journal: The Journal of nutrition
Summary
# Editorial Summary Kronfeld *et al.* (2006) investigated why some horses and ponies develop laminitis whilst others remain unaffected, hypothesising that a detectable metabolic syndrome in clinically healthy animals might predict future disease risk. Working with a herd of 160 ponies (54 with previous laminitis history, 106 never affected), the researchers conducted pedigree analysis, measured plasma insulin, triglycerides, glucose and other metabolic markers, and derived two insulin sensitivity proxies to characterise a "prelaminitic metabolic syndrome" (PLMS) based on statistical cut-off points. Within two months of natural pasture starch concentration doubling, 13 clinical laminitis cases developed: 11 from the 62 PLMS-positive ponies and only 2 from 98 PLMS-free animals, yielding an odds ratio of 10.4—meaning PLMS-positive individuals were roughly ten times more likely to develop laminitis under challenge. For practitioners, this offers a practical screening tool to identify genuinely at-risk animals requiring intensive dietary and management intervention before disease develops, potentially increasing intervention efficiency nearly threefold compared to blanket preventive approaches. The hereditary component of PLMS (suggested by pedigree analysis) also raises important breeding considerations, though confirmation in horse populations and validation of the specific proxy calculations in clinical settings would strengthen practical application.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Test at-risk ponies for plasma insulin, triglycerides, and glucose to identify those with metabolic predisposition to laminitis before clinical disease develops
- •Ponies identified as PLMS-positive require stricter pasture management and controlled grazing, especially during high-starch growth periods, to prevent laminitis episodes
- •Metabolic profiling enables targeted preventive interventions for predisposed individuals, reducing overall disease incidence and improving outcomes compared to blanket management approaches
Key Findings
- •Previously laminitic ponies showed elevated plasma insulin and triglycerides with compensated insulin resistance compared to never laminitic controls
- •A prelaminitic metabolic syndrome (PLMS) derived from insulin sensitivity proxies, triglyceride levels, and body condition score had 78% predictive power for identifying at-risk individuals
- •When pasture starch doubled, 11 of 13 clinical laminitis cases (85%) occurred in the PLMS-positive group versus 2 in the PLMS-free group (odds ratio 10.4, P=0.0006)
- •PLMS identification could increase intervention efficiency nearly 3-fold by targeting predisposed ponies requiring special management