Obesity-related metabolic dysfunction in dogs: a comparison with human metabolic syndrome

Thirty-five obese dogs were assessed before and after weight loss (median percentage loss 29%, range 10-44%). The diagnostic criteria of the International Diabetes Federation were modified in order to define canine obesity-related metabolic dysfunction (ORMD), which included a measure of adiposity (using a 9-point body condition score [BCS]), systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma cholesterol, plasma triglyceride, and fasting plasma glucose. By way of comparison, total body fat mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, whilst total adiponectin, fasting insulin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured using validated assays.Systolic blood pressure (P？=？0.008), cholesterol (P？=？0.003), triglyceride (P？=？0.018), and fasting insulin (P？<？0.001) all decreased after weight loss, whilst plasma total adiponectin increased (P？=？0.001). However, hsCRP did not change with weight loss. Prior to weight loss, 7 dogs were defined as having ORMD, and there was no difference in total fat mass between these dogs and those who did not meet the criteria for ORMD. However, plasma adiponectin concentration was less (P？=？0.031), and plasma insulin concentration was greater (P？=？0.030) in ORMD dogs.In this study, approximately 20% of obese dogs suffer from ORMD, and this is characterized by hypoadiponectinaemia and hyperinsulinaemia. These studies can form the basis of further investigations to determine path genetic mechanisms and the health significance for dogs, in terms of disease associations and outcomes of weight loss.Recently, metabolic syndrome (MS) has gained attention in human medicine given its associations with development of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases [1]. Central obesity (determined by waist circumference) is critical to its definition, in conjunction with dyslipidaemia, hypertension and glucose intolerance. This suggests that MS is a complex cluster of metabolic risk factors that together may predispose to development o