Correlation Between Hyperlipidemia-Related Diseases and Thorax/Thigh Circumference Ratio Along with Body Condition Score in Dogs Focusing on Molecular Mechanism: A Pilot Study and Literature Review

Abstract

There are some limitations to using the body condition score (BCS) for client education to prevent obesity, hyperlipidemia-related diseases, and orthopedic diseases in dogs because it is hard to quantify in detail. Especially in small dogs, patellar luxation is a common orthopedic disease that is related to obesity and the hind leg muscle. In this pilot study, the author evaluated the thorax/thigh circumference ratio as a prognostic evaluation index, along with the BCS, for assessing patellar dislocation and other hyperlipidemia-related diseases and states such as hypertriglyceridemia and obesity-related orthopedic disease in small dogs. Eleven client-owned dogs were selected randomly among patients that visited Bundang New York Animal Hospital, South Korea from June 2021 to August 2024. According to the results, triglycerides (TG) showed a negative correlation with thorax/thigh value (R = −0.585, p-value = 0.059) and a strong positive correlation with thigh circumference (R = 0.749, p-value = 0.008). Total cholesterol (TC) showed a strong positive correlation with thigh circumference (R = 0.776, p-value = 0.005), whereas the thorax/thigh value showed a negative correlation with the medial patella luxation (MPL) grade with low significance (R = −0.343, p-value = 0.302). These data indicate that thigh circumference can be an excellent negative indicator for hyperlipidemia and thorax/thigh value shows no correlation with medial patella luxation, which has many factors such as varus and trochlear groove. Despite the limitations of this study due to the small sample size, this pilot study is significant as it is the first trial to introduce a new indicator for monitoring hyperlipidemia at home by using a simple tape measure. Also, the author reviews molecular pathways including the ApoA-1, ApoE, and LPL genes, which are related to hyperlipidemia, to explain the results.