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. 2023 Jan 27;13(3):429.
doi: 10.3390/ani13030429.

A Scoping Review of Non-Structural Airway Disease as a Cause of Poor Performance in Racehorses

Ann Cullinane  1 , Marie Garvey  1 , Cathal Walsh  2 , James Gibbons  1 , Alan Creighton  1
Affiliations

A Scoping Review of Non-Structural Airway Disease as a Cause of Poor Performance in Racehorses

Ann Cullinane et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

The association between poor performance and respiratory disease in Thoroughbred racehorses that do not have a structural abnormality of the respiratory tract, is often based on anecdotal evidence. The objective of this scoping review was to examine the scientific evidence for such associations. Publications were selected based on a search of three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and CAB Direct), in English and without date restriction, followed by a screening process to exclude non-relevant papers, duplicates, and reviews. This process identified 996 publications of which 20 were analysed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. The results indicated that the evidence supporting the relationship between proposed diagnostic indicators and poor performance is variable. There is a need for better quality evidence. In particular, there are conflicting reports relating to the impact of equine asthma and EIPH on athletic performance. Furthermore, a lack of standardisation in the measurement of racehorse performance makes it difficult to compare findings from different studies. The industry would benefit from high-level guidance concerning the design of controlled performance studies in Thoroughbred racehorses to collect comprehensive data and facilitate targeted interventions.

Keywords: Thoroughbred; equine asthma; poor performance; racehorse; respiratory disease; review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Search and selection flowchart for scoping review of non-structural airway disease as a cause of poor performance in racehorses [17].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summary of quality appraisal for the 20 reviewed publications using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Quality was assessed as having low, moderate, or high risk of bias across six domains.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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