ECG test may identify racehorses at risk of heart issues during exercise
New screening method could enhance horse welfare and performance safety
A new study led by the University of Surrey suggests that a quick ECG test may pinpoint racehorses at risk of cardiac arrhythmias during high-intensity exercise.
The screening method suggests analysing routine electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings to help prevent cardiac events in horses where no evident arrhythmia signs have appeared.
Researchers from the University of Surrey, alongside collaborators from the University of Minnesota, Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons, and Wisconsin Equine Clinic, utilised an AI-system developed at Surrey.
This AI measures 'disorderliness' in the heart's electrical signals, allowing it to identify horses likely to experience premature beats during peak exercise using short ECG recordings taken at rest or during light exercise when heart rates are 60-100 beats per minute.
According to Scientific Reports, the study evaluated ambulatory ECG recordings from 110 US-based Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses during regular training.
Using 60-second ECG segments, researchers tested six different algorithms across various heart rate ranges and signal features.
The most successful algorithm achieved an area under the curve of 0.86, which surpasses the 0.5 that indicates random chance, in discerning horses with exercise-related arrhythmias from those without.
Significantly, the test effectively rules out horses who are not at risk, sparing them from unnecessary further testing.
Horses that screen positive could undergo a full exercising ECG to confirm arrhythmia type and severity.
Cardiac arrhythmias are common among athletic horses, most pose no threat, but severe cases can lead to deteriorated performance, collapse, or life-threatening episodes.
Currently, detecting at-risk horses requires ECG monitoring during intense exercise.
Earlier identification of susceptible horses can facilitate better monitoring and management, promoting safety and welfare on the racecourse.
The study expands on prior work by the Jeevaratnam group in detecting paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the most common sustained arrhythmia in both equine and human athletes.
The methods work in different heart rate ranges, potentially allowing vets to screen for both conditions during a single diagnostic session at low exercise intensity.
Funding for this research was provided by the Grayson Jockey Club Foundation and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Impact Acceleration Award to the University of Surrey.