Post by slyvia123 on Jul 8, 2014 6:30:17 GMT
Scientists hypothesise a link between Cushings in horses and Parkinson’s disease in humans with the possible causative agent being exposure to insecticides such as the common treatment for lice (permethrin). As well as being a component of lice treatments almost 70% of permethrin is used as an insecticide on corn, wheat and alfalfa increasing the risk of contamination from the diet even if the horse is not given a topical treatment for lice.
Cushings is on the increase and PPID is up to 20 times more prevalent in horses than Parkinson’s is in humans and now more recently with the early testing for raised ACTH levels more horses are being diagnosed as having Cushings and being prescribed Pergolide/Prascend at increasingly young ages. Although the diseases are anatomically distinct in many ways there are two very clear similarities the first is the dopaminergic neuronal damage in PPID and PD and the second is the link between even very limited exposure to pesticides and the significant reduction to dopamine production in the brain of humans and mammals.
The onset of Cushings is likely to be a complex interaction between the environment and genetic makeup particularly in relationship to how well horse’s age naturally because some of the oxidative stress damage in Cushings is simply part of the normal aging process. However recent early diagnosis based on raised ACTH levels should raise owner’s awareness to question whether this is the early stages of a chronic degenerative condition or could it possibly be a response to the environment or even an environmental pollutant?
In this age of social media perhaps this is the perfect time for concerned owners to begin an epidemiological log of populations of ‘at risk’ horses who have been prescribed Pergolide either at an early age or that have a history of raised ACTH levels before the onset of the major signs of Cushings.
There have been nearly 3,000 new cases of Cushings in younger horses diagnosed from raised ACTH levels this year and if your horse is on this list we would like to enlist your help for an epidemiological study into early onset Cushings. Epidemiology is the study of how often diseases occur in different groups and why this should be so. The information is vital to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent early onset of disease, it also will serve as a guide to management.
If you would like to be involved could you email details on the location, age, breeding, ACTH levels if possible, basic diet and lice control methods if you have a horse affected by Cushings under the age of 15 to carol.michael@phytorigins .com or respond to this post. For epidemiological studies to be statistically viable we need a high number of responses so please share this with as many people as you think will benefit. Prevention is always better than cure but to develop effective strategies we need information so over to you.....
freestepsuperfix.co.uk
Cushings is on the increase and PPID is up to 20 times more prevalent in horses than Parkinson’s is in humans and now more recently with the early testing for raised ACTH levels more horses are being diagnosed as having Cushings and being prescribed Pergolide/Prascend at increasingly young ages. Although the diseases are anatomically distinct in many ways there are two very clear similarities the first is the dopaminergic neuronal damage in PPID and PD and the second is the link between even very limited exposure to pesticides and the significant reduction to dopamine production in the brain of humans and mammals.
The onset of Cushings is likely to be a complex interaction between the environment and genetic makeup particularly in relationship to how well horse’s age naturally because some of the oxidative stress damage in Cushings is simply part of the normal aging process. However recent early diagnosis based on raised ACTH levels should raise owner’s awareness to question whether this is the early stages of a chronic degenerative condition or could it possibly be a response to the environment or even an environmental pollutant?
In this age of social media perhaps this is the perfect time for concerned owners to begin an epidemiological log of populations of ‘at risk’ horses who have been prescribed Pergolide either at an early age or that have a history of raised ACTH levels before the onset of the major signs of Cushings.
There have been nearly 3,000 new cases of Cushings in younger horses diagnosed from raised ACTH levels this year and if your horse is on this list we would like to enlist your help for an epidemiological study into early onset Cushings. Epidemiology is the study of how often diseases occur in different groups and why this should be so. The information is vital to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent early onset of disease, it also will serve as a guide to management.
If you would like to be involved could you email details on the location, age, breeding, ACTH levels if possible, basic diet and lice control methods if you have a horse affected by Cushings under the age of 15 to carol.michael@phytorigins .com or respond to this post. For epidemiological studies to be statistically viable we need a high number of responses so please share this with as many people as you think will benefit. Prevention is always better than cure but to develop effective strategies we need information so over to you.....
freestepsuperfix.co.uk