Prospective cohort study evaluating risk factors for the development of pasture-associated laminitis in the United Kingdom.
Authors: Menzies-Gow N J, Harris P A, Elliott J
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Pasture-Associated Laminitis Risk Factors Identifying which animals will develop pasture-associated laminitis before clinical signs emerge remains challenging for equine practitioners; this prospective UK cohort study tracked 446 predominantly overweight ponies (median age 15 years) over three years, measuring body condition alongside comprehensive metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers including adiponectin, insulin responses, and endothelial markers at baseline. Over the follow-up period, laminitis incidence rose from 4.0% at one year to 9.9% at three years, with low plasma adiponectin and elevated basal or post-dexamethasone insulin emerging as statistically significant risk factors across all timepoints. Whilst receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated only fair-to-good discriminatory accuracy for these biomarkers individually, the findings suggest that insulin dysregulation and reduced adiponectin—both linked to systemic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction—warrant consideration alongside body condition assessment when evaluating laminitis risk in susceptible populations. For practitioners managing at-risk animals, these results reinforce the importance of weight management and insulin status monitoring, though clinicians should recognise that single-point biomarker assessment has limitations in predicting future disease at the individual animal level, and a multifactorial approach integrating metabolic profiling with management factors remains essential for preventative strategies.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Blood biomarkers (adiponectin and insulin levels) can help identify ponies at risk of future laminitis before clinical signs appear—consider baseline testing for at-risk animals
- •Overweight/obese ponies with high basal insulin or low adiponectin warrant stricter dietary management and pasture restriction to prevent laminitis development
- •Annual monitoring of metabolic indicators in middle-aged and older ponies on pasture can support early intervention and laminitis prevention strategies
Key Findings
- •Over 3 years, 9.9% of initially non-laminitic ponies developed veterinarian-diagnosed pasture-associated laminitis
- •Low plasma adiponectin concentration was significantly associated with future laminitis occurrence
- •High serum basal insulin and high serum insulin post-dexamethasone concentrations were significantly associated with future laminitis occurrence
- •72.2% of enrolled animals were overweight or obese (BCS 7-9/9), indicating high baseline metabolic risk in the study population