Obesity is one of the most common health issues in dogs, leading to musculoskeletal, respiratory, and metabolic disorders. It can also negatively affect cardiovascular health. In humans, heart rate variability (HRV) is widely used to predict cardiovascular disease, but its use in veterinary medicine is limited.
Pongkan et al. (2020) studied 30 small-breed dogs divided into normal-weight and obese groups. Researchers evaluated oxidative stress, HRV, and heart function using electrocardiography, echocardiography, and Holter monitoring. The obese dogs showed increased oxidative stress, reduced HRV, and decreased cardiac systolic function compared to non-obese dogs.
Key findings included reductions in ejection fraction, fractional shortening, and cardiac wall thickness, alongside increases in left ventricular diameter and end-systolic volume. These results suggest that obesity impairs autonomic cardiac regulation and compromises systolic function, even when overall cardiac values appear within normal limits.
The study concludes that canine obesity is linked to sympathovagal imbalance, oxidative stress, and impaired cardiac performance. Monitoring HRV could become a valuable tool in veterinary practice for predicting and preventing cardiovascular disease in dogs.
Source: Pongkan, W., Jitnapakarn, W., Phetnoi, W., Punyapornwithaya, V., & Boonyapakorn, C. (2020). Obesity-Induced Heart Rate Variability Impairment and Decreased Systolic Function in Obese Male Dogs. Animals, 10. Published August 1, 2020.
