PhD Student Purdue University Lafayette, IN, United States
Abstract:
Background: Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are both alpha-synucleinopathies linked to aging. However, comorbidities common to both conditions, independent of age, have not been studied.
Objectives: Identify comorbidities associated with PPID, independent of age, in a first-opinion veterinary practice. Animals: Medical records from 132 horses with PPID and 274 controls matched by age and breed.
Methods: Variables associated with a diagnosis of PPID were evaluated with a Fischer exact test or Mann-Whitney test depending on type. A backward stepwise model was then used with p < .2 to be considered for inclusion and p < .05 to be retained in the final multivariable logistic regression.
Results: Variables associated with a diagnosis of PPID included boarding at a boarding facility (p = .02), a high fecal egg count (p = .03), presence of hyperinsulinaemia-associated laminitis (HAL, p < .0001), more common use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID, p = .006), more common development of neurologic diseases (p = .03) and having more adverse medical events (7 [0 – 25] vs. 5 [0 – 47], p = .01). The results of the logistic regression indicated that boarding at a boarding facility, poor wound healing, HAL and use of NSAID were independent factors associated with a diagnosis of PPID. Clinical importance: Although age is the main risk factor for the development of PPID, additional factors seem associated with a diagnosis of the disease. As described in people with PD, chronic inflammation appears common in horses with synucleinopathies.
