A new study published this week in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and funded by the Grayson Jockey Club Foundation, has found that horses racing on Lasix are at increased risk of dying within three days of race 62% higher than horses running without diuretics. .
Death from serious musculoskeletal injury was not included in the study.
Lasix use was one of 15 risk factors identified in the report.
The study, based on information from the Horse Injury Database, examined starts made by 284,387 Thoroughbreds at 144 races in the US and Canada between 2009 and 2021. A total of 4,198 .073 initiations were included in the study conducted by Dr. Euan Bennet. and Dr. Tim Parkin. The number of starts equals 92.2% of all races in North America run during the study period.
Among starters, there were 536 horse deaths within three days of racing, a rate of 0.13 per 1,000 starts.
Horses in the “sudden death” category must die within three days of racing and have one or more five descriptions of fatal injury: (1) sudden death (recorded as “SUD” in the EID); (2) pulmonary hemorrhage; (3) exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH); (4) heatstroke/postoperative distress (PED); and (5) arrhythmia.
The study included 233,276 equine initiations without Lasix. Eighteen or 0.08 per 1,000 starters die within three days. There were 3,964,797 people who started running with Lasix and the result was 518 sudden deaths or 0.13 per 1000 starters. Ninety-four percent of all horses in the study raced with Lasix.
“…It can be hypothesized that use of furosemide in horses may increase the risk of sudden death from fatal arrhythmias,” the study wrote. “However, as the exact cause of sudden death (cardiac and noncardiac) was not determined for the horses of this study, we can only speculate on possible mechanisms. Further investigation is needed to understand what, if any, pathophysiological mechanisms may underlie the association between furosemide use and sudden death, as this finding raises further ethical concerns for the study. racial management. “
The researchers also concluded: “… identifying any potential causal link between furosemide use and sudden death should be a priority.”
The study looked at 49 risk factors and concluded that 15 of them could lead to a horse dying after a race. The list includes:
Winter racehorses reduce the risk of death by 28% when compared to racehorses in the summer;
There are fewer deaths in longer races. In races of one mile or more, horses are 32% less likely to die than horses competing in races of six or less;
Older horses are more likely to die than younger ones. Horses five years of age and older are 44% more likely to die than horses three years of age or younger;
Horses that race regularly are less likely to die than horses whose races are spaced apart. For each additional race start made in the preceding 0 to 30 days, the horses are at a reduced risk of sudden death. Horses that have started two or more races between 90 and 180 days before the current race have a 19% reduced risk of death compared to horses that have started 0 or 1 times in the same time period;
Horses racing for the first time in a rights race are at increased risk. Their sudden death rate was 38% higher than horses that didn’t first appear in the claims ranks; horses that had previously been on the veterinary list, were 31% more likely to die than horses that have never been on the vet list; Horses whose last starts were taken on a synthetic track had a 33% reduction in sudden death rates compared to those started on dirt tracks; researchers researchers hope their information can lead to fewer sudden deaths. Further work is needed to determine, if any, clinical signs are potential and true signs, whether such a rare outcome can be reliably predicted, the study writes. . Thoughtful application of big data prediction model will be useful here; Regular biometric monitoring of racehorses throughout their training and racing careers can provide valuable insights into a horse’s physical health. “
