title: A modified oral sugar test for evaluation of insulin and glucose dynamics in horses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An oral sugar test (OST) using Karo®Light Corn Syrup has been developed in the USA as a field test for the assessment of insulin dysregulation in horses but the syrup is not available in Scandinavian grocery stores. The aim of the study was to compare the results of a modified OST between horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and healthy horses using a Scandinavian commercially available glucose syrup (Dansukker glykossirap). In addition, the effect of breed and the repeatability of the test were evaluated. In the present study, clinically healthy horses (7 Shetland ponies, 8 Icelandic horses, 8 Standardbred horses) and 20 horses of various breeds with EMS underwent the modified OST test. The Icelandic horses and Shetland ponies underwent the OST twice. Insulin and glucose data from the OST were used to calculate peak insulin concentration (PeakINS), time to peak insulin concentration (T-peakINS), area under the curve for insulin (AUCINS) and glucose (AUCGLU) as well as whole body insulin sensitivity index (ISICOMP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the healthy group, the EMS group had 6-7 times higher geometric mean for PeakINSand AUCINSand 8 times lower geometric mean for ISICOMP. The EMS group had a delayed T-peakINScompared to the healthy group. There was no effect of breed in the group of healthy horses on PeakINS, T-peakINS, AUCINS, AUCGLUand ISICOMP. Coefficient of variation for repeated tests was 19.8, 19.0 and 17.6 % for PeakINS, AUCINSand ISICOMPrespectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study demonstrate that the modified OST appears to be a practical and useful diagnostic tool for assessment of insulin dysregulation in the horse. However, to make it possible to establish the most appropriate sampling interval and to evaluate the accuracy of the modified OST, further studies in horses with a variable degree of insulin resistance are needed, where results from the modified OST are compared with quantitative measurements for IS.
authors: Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden. sanna.lindase@slu.se.
authors: Sanna
authors: S
authors: Lindåse
authors: Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Katarina
authors: K
authors: Nostell
authors: Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Bröjer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001947:Breeding; D005947:Glucose / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test / Q000662:veterinary*; D006736:Horses / Q000378:metabolism*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D007333:Insulin Resistance
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D005947:Glucose
keywords: Horse; Insulin dysregulation; Insulin resistance; Oral sugar test