Hair cortisol concentration is inversely related to the severity of equine squamous gastric disease.
Authors: Prinsloo Miguelita, Hynd Philip, Franklin Samantha, Weaver Sarah, van den Boom Robin
Journal: Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Hair Cortisol and Equine Squamous Gastric Disease Equine squamous gastric disease affects a substantial proportion of the horse population, with stress emerging as a putative aetiological factor, yet the relationship between chronic stress exposure and lesion development remains poorly characterised. Prinsloo and colleagues measured hair cortisol concentration (HCC)—a marker reflecting integrated cortisol exposure over several weeks to months—in 25 horses undergoing gastroscopy, enabling correlation of long-term stress status with both ESGD presence and severity. Unexpectedly, horses exhibiting ESGD demonstrated significantly lower HCC than unaffected animals (P = 0.014), with HCC inversely correlated to lesion severity; mares showed lower HCC overall but paradoxically higher ESGD prevalence compared to geldings (P = 0.031), whilst age was not a significant variable. This counterintuitive finding—that horses with more severe gastric disease present with lower chronic stress markers—warrants cautious interpretation and suggests either that acute rather than chronic stress mechanisms predominate in ESGD pathogenesis, or that affected horses may have exhausted their cortisol-producing capacity, though the authors appropriately acknowledge that further investigation is essential to establish causation and elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings of the HCC–ESGD association.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Hair cortisol testing may help identify horses at risk for ESGD, with lower cortisol levels potentially indicating higher disease severity
- •Sex differences in cortisol levels and ESGD prevalence suggest mares may require specific management strategies for gastric ulcer prevention
- •Stress management remains important in ESGD prevention, though the counterintuitive cortisol findings warrant further investigation before clinical application
Key Findings
- •Hair cortisol concentration was significantly lower in horses with ESGD compared to those without (P = 0.014)
- •Hair cortisol concentration was negatively correlated with ESGD lesion severity
- •Mares had lower hair cortisol concentration than geldings (P = 0.031) and a higher prevalence of ESGD
- •Age had no significant effect on hair cortisol concentration or ESGD prevalence