The use of heart rate variability analysis to detect arrhythmias in horses undergoing a standard treadmill exercise test.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Little is known about normal heart rate variability (HRV) in horses during exercise. It can be difficult to separate premature beats from normal beat-to-beat variation at higher heart rates.

Objectives

The aim was to quantify HRV in healthy horses during a high-speed treadmill-standardized exercise test (HSET) and to compare with the HRV in horses observed to have arrhythmias during exercise.

Animals

Thirteen healthy horses (Group H), 30 horses with arrhythmias (Group A), and 11 horses with poor performance but no observed arrhythmias (Group O).

Methods

Prospective, observational study. All horses performed a HSET with simultaneous electrocardiograph (ECG) recorded. The ECGs were corrected for artifacts, and arrhythmias noted. Percent instantaneous b

SUBMITTER: Frick L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6335521 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature