Equine Asthma and Obesity
Published on 2024-12-12
Equine Asthma and Obesity
Obesity increases the risk of developing equine asthma, a condition that can persist even after weight loss. Research indicates that approximately 60% of leisure horses and up to 80% of racehorses are affected by equine asthma. Environmental factors such as lifestyle, forage quality, stable setup, and exercise surfaces strongly influence respiratory health.
Michelle Coleman, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, from the University of Georgia, has studied equine asthma and its link to translational medicine between horses and humans. While asthma is frequently studied in mice, this model is inappropriate because asthma does not naturally develop in mice. In contrast, asthma manifests similarly in horses and humans, with symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
Obesity, in addition to being an inflammatory disease, disrupts the gut microbiome and causes inflammation in the respiratory tract. In obese horses, inflammatory changes in the intestines can affect the lungs, exacerbating asthma. Even after weight loss, respiratory inflammation persists, making obesity a major risk factor for equine asthma. Ongoing research aims to better understand the impact of obesity on the interactions between the gut and the lungs.
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