Intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide injection results in increases in systemic insulin and glucose concentrations in horses without insulin dysregulation.

Summary

# Editorial Summary Intra-articular corticosteroid injections are a cornerstone treatment for equine osteoarthritis, yet their systemic metabolic effects remain poorly characterised—particularly regarding insulin and glucose dynamics, which are central to laminitis risk. Boger and colleagues administered single intra-articular injections of triamcinolone acetonide to healthy horses and horses with insulin dysregulation, then measured systemic insulin and glucose concentrations over a defined post-injection period using standardised metabolic testing. Notably, all horses showed significant elevations in both insulin and glucose concentrations following injection, regardless of baseline metabolic status, though horses with pre-existing insulin dysregulation did not display exaggerated responses compared to metabolically normal individuals. These findings carry important clinical implications: whilst intra-articular corticosteroids remain valuable anti-inflammatory tools, practitioners should counsel owners of at-risk animals (those with equine metabolic syndrome or laminitis history) about the transient hyperinsulinaemic response and consider timing injections strategically—potentially avoiding high-risk seasons or combining treatment with intensified metabolic management, dietary modification, and exercise protocols that mitigate insulin dysregulation.

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Key Findings

• •Intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide injection increases systemic insulin and glucose concentrations in horses
• •Hyperinsulinaemia occurs post-injection, which may increase laminitis risk
• •Effects observed in horses without pre-existing insulin dysregulation
• •Corticosteroid response mirrors metabolic changes seen in humans with metabolic syndrome

Conditions Studied

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