Corticosteroid Administration Enhances the Glycemic, Insulinemic, and Incretin Responses to a High-Protein Mixed Meal in Adult Horses.
Authors: Palmer Allison T, Watts Mauria R, Timko Kathryn J, Pinnell Erin F, Keefer Katelyn A, Gorman Olivia, Hostnik Laura D, Burns Teresa A
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary Corticosteroid administration is ubiquitous in equine practice, yet its metabolic consequences—particularly insulin dysregulation—remain incompletely understood, especially regarding nutritional management strategies. Researchers administered dexamethasone to healthy adult horses and measured glycaemic, insulinaemic, and incretin hormone responses to a high-protein mixed meal, comparing outcomes against baseline and control conditions. The corticosteroid treatment significantly exacerbated the postprandial insulin and glucose responses to the high-protein meal, alongside enhanced secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)—the principal incretin hormones regulating insulin secretion. These findings suggest that corticosteroid-induced insulin dysregulation may be further complicated by high-protein ration balancers, which are commonly prescribed to support muscle maintenance in horses with equine metabolic syndrome or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. Farriers, veterinarians and nutritionists should consider that whilst high-protein feeds provide essential amino acids and may support musculoskeletal health, their use during corticosteroid treatment may inadvertently amplify insulin secretion; careful dietary assessment and monitoring of insulin responses becomes particularly critical when corticosteroids are administered alongside protein-rich supplementation.
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Practical Takeaways
- •When horses require corticosteroids, dietary management with high-protein ration balancers may have amplified effects on blood glucose and insulin; monitor metabolic response more carefully in steroid-treated horses
- •Standard recommendations for low-NSC diets in insulin-dysregulated horses may need adjustment when corticosteroids are administered concurrently
- •Consider more frequent glucose/insulin monitoring in horses on both corticosteroids and high-protein supplementation to detect dysregulation earlier
Key Findings
- •Corticosteroid administration enhances glycemic and insulinemic responses to high-protein mixed meals in horses
- •Incretin responses are modulated by corticosteroid treatment in equine subjects
- •High-protein ration balancers produce measurable hormonal and metabolic changes that are altered by concurrent corticosteroid use