Obesity-Related Metabolic Dysfunction in Dairy Cows and Horses: Comparison to Human Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

Obesity has become a serious health problem with frequent occurrence both in human and animal populations. It is estimated that it may affect over 85% of the human population and 70–80% of horses and cows by 2030. Fat cow syndrome (FCS) is a combination of metabolic, digestive, infectious, and reproductive disorders that affects obese periparturient dairy cows, and occurs most frequently in loose-housing systems, where periparturient and dry cows are fed and managed in one group disregarding the lactation stages. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) was named after human metabolic syndrome (MetS) and has insulin dysregulation as a central and consistent feature. It is often associated with obesity, although EMS may occur in a lean phenotype as well. Other inconsistent features of EMS are cardiovascular changes and adipose dysregulation. Laminitis is the main clinical consequence of EMS. MetS holds a 30-years old lead in research and represents a clustering of risk factors that comprise abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia (impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes mellitus—T2DM), which are associated with doubled atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, and a 5-fold increased risk for T2DM. The main aim of this review is to provide critical information for better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of obesity-related metabolic dysfunction in animals, especially in cows and horses, in comparison with MetS. Human medicine studies can offer suitable candidate mechanisms to fill the existing gap in the literature, which might be indispensable for owners to tackle FCS, EMS, and their consequences.

The Complex Interplay of Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Inflammation in Transition Dairy Cows

“…Chronic systemic inflammation exacerbates the susceptibility to infectious diseases, including mastitis and metritis [ 45 ]. Not all cows undergo chronic inflammation during the transition period, but the risk is higher, particularly in over-conditioned cows [ 5 , 46 ]. This chronic inflammation interferes with insulin action, elevating the risk of metabolic disorders and activating multiple types of immune cells, thereby causing subtle increases in inflammatory mediators, leading to persistent alterations in tissue functionality and a state of low-grade inflammation [ 43 ].…”

Effect of Exercise Conditioning on Countering the Effects of Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Horses—A Review

“…In fact, adipocytokine production is correlated to body condition score and adiposity [ 39 , 59 , 66 , 69 , 70 ]. Obesity has also been shown to contribute to adipose tissue dysfunction in horses [ 53 , 71 ]. Oxidative stress is another component of both aging and obesity and may also contribute to alterations in insulin dynamics [ 18 , 69 , 72 ].…”

Unveiling the Nutritional Spectrum of Millet: An In-depth Review

“…For instance, Pearl millet contains approximately 67% carbohydrates, much of which is in the form of starch, and around 2.3% fiber [36]. This high fiber content is crucial for maintaining digestive health and has implications for weight management and the control of blood sugar levels [37].…”