Researchers believe equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) can be detected earlier and more reliably with a new set of guidelines developed by the Equine Endocrinology Group (EEG), a body of leading veterinarians and researchers in the equine endocrinology field.

Similar to Cushing’s disease in humans but affecting a different area of the pituitary gland, PPID is associated with elevated levels of hormones in the blood. Horses with the condition often have a wide range of clinical signs depending on the stage of the disease, from loss of energy to muscle wasting, and the condition is more common in older horses.

The EEG created a set of recommendations in 2011 to help practitioners identify early versus advanced stages of PPID, and their new recommendations adjust and refine testing procedures for a more thorough and accurate approach to diagnosis. Recommendations are based upon published research on PPID.

“Our collective research has shown that horses can often develop this disease earlier in life, yet earlier clinical signs don't always translate into positive test results,” said Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor and chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and group coordinator for the Equine Endocrinology Group. “As research on PPID advances, we are identifying practical ways to improve early detection and diagnosis