Study: Epistaxis Has ‘Complex Hereditary Basis’

Environment also to blame in exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage cases so severe that horses bleed from the nostrils.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Researchers have determined that epistaxis—the most severe form of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in which blood runs from the horse’s nostrils—has a genetic basis. And, according to a group from Australia, a combination of genes as well as exterior influences can lead to epistaxis.

“Epistaxis is most likely influenced by multiple genes that each contribute a little bit to its occurrence,” said Brandon D. Velie, PhD candidate in equine genetics at the University of Sydney. “For epistaxis to be expressed, a horse would not only need these genes, but it would also have to be exposed to the right environmental risk factors.”

In their recent study on epistaxis, Velie and his fellow researchers investigated more than 117,000 racehorses.

“We analyzed epistaxis because of the readily accessible records pertaining to horses that had exhibited epistaxis during racing,” he explained. “We would have preferred to explore all grades of EIPH, but this would require the scoping of every horse involved in the study and was not feasible

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
295 votes · 295 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!