All the variations observed can be attributed mainly to the increase of the sympathetic tone connected with the increase of the heart frequency necessary to satisfy the increase of the cardiac range resulting from the physical commitment. The results obtained, if correlated to the concomitant modifications of the hematochemical and hematological profile, are extremely useful in the planning and the monitoring of programs of specific training. Complementary medical imagery revealed a dilated cardiomyopathy, later confirmed at necroscopy. Combined treatment with digoxine and furosemide achieved a frank clinical improvement within a few days. The owner nevertheless decided to put the mare down after 4 weeks of treatment due to the persistence of syncope on moderate exercise.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is well known in domestic carnivores and in man.
Clinical signs in the decompensated phase are principally those of global congestive cardiac insufficiency. The relatively high frequency of this condition in carnivores has produced important epidemiological insights, but even in these species, more studies are needed to address the problems of etiology and appropriate early diagnostic methods to improve the prognosis and treatment regimes. It is possible that the condition is under-diagnosed in horses, and improvements in equine cardiology will eventually indicate whether the clinical entity is identical to that seen in other species. Abstract not available. The study of the chronophysiological responses of the physical activity of the athlete, involving the whole organism, is quite complex as is the functional evaluation of the athlete.