White Rebecca, Nath Laura, Hebart Michelle, Franklin Samantha
School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia.
Animals (Basel). 2023 Mar 16;13(6):1070. doi: 10.3390/ani13061070.
P wave indices are used as non-invasive electrocardiographic markers of atrial remodelling in humans. Few studies have investigated their use in animals. The aim of this study was to measure P wave duration and P wave dispersion (Pd) in healthy standardbred horses and investigate variables that might influence these measurements. A 12-lead electrocardiogram was recorded at rest and P wave indices were calculated in 53 horses. A general linear model was used to investigate the main effects: age, bodyweight, sex, resting heart rate, presence of a murmur, exercise status and the number of years raced. There were significant associations with exercise status for both the maximum P wave duration and Pd, with both values being increased in strenuously exercising versus non-active horses. Furthermore, a significant moderate positive correlation was identified between the duration of exercise (number of years raced) and both Pmax and Pd. No other significant associations were identified. These findings are similar to those reported in elite human athletes versus sedentary individuals. The increases in these P wave indices most likely occur due to prolongation and heterogeneity in atrial conduction time, which are associated with structural and electrical remodelling, and may explain the increased risk of atrial fibrillation in athletic horses.
P波指标被用作人类心房重塑的无创心电图标志物。很少有研究探讨其在动物中的应用。本研究的目的是测量健康标准赛马的P波时限和P波离散度（Pd），并研究可能影响这些测量结果的变量。对53匹马在静息状态下记录12导联心电图，并计算P波指标。采用一般线性模型研究主要影响因素：年龄、体重、性别、静息心率、杂音的存在、运动状态和参赛年限。最大P波时限和Pd均与运动状态存在显著关联，剧烈运动的马匹与不运动的马匹相比，这两个值均升高。此外，运动持续时间（参赛年限）与Pmax和Pd之间存在显著的中度正相关。未发现其他显著关联。这些发现与精英人类运动员与久坐不动个体的报道相似。这些P波指标的增加很可能是由于心房传导时间延长和异质性所致，这与结构和电重塑有关，可能解释了运动马匹心房颤动风险增加的原因。
