Coleman et al. 2017 Case Control Study of Pasture and Endocrinopathy-Associated Laminitis in Horses

Coleman M, Belknap J, Bramlage L, Eades S, Fraley B, Galantino-Homer H, Hunt R, Geor R, McCue M, McIlwraith W, Moore R, Peroni J, Townsend H, White N, Cummings K, Ivanek-Miojevic R, Cohen N
Case Control Study of Pasture and Endocrinopathy-Associated Laminitis in Horses
Equine Endocrinology Summit 2017 p 25

Significant efforts have been made in the past decade to further our understanding of laminitis in horses; however, much research has been limited to the study of the mechanistic pathways following experimental induction of disease. The conduct of observational studies of naturally-occurring laminitis is necessary for the improvement of our knowledge and understanding of disease predisposition and the design of future investigations into the prevention and control of this debilitating disease. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine risk factors for the development of pasture- and endocrinopathy-associated laminitis (PEAL) in horses evaluated by veterinarians in North America. In this case-control study, incident cases of PEAL evaluated by veterinary practitioners in North America from 2012- 2015 and horses from 2 control populations were included. Participating veterinarians provided historical data from a case of PEAL, a healthy control, and a lameness control. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to compare data from PEAL-affected horses and each set of controls. A total of 199 horses with acute, incident PEAL, 198 healthy controls, and 153 lameness controls were included in the analysis.

Horses with an obese body condition (BCS ≥ 7), generalized or regional adiposity, a historic diagnosis of an endocrinopathy, and recent glucocorticoid administration were at increased odds of developing PEAL. 

Elucidating the determinants and earlier recognition of obesity, adiposity, and endocrinopathies might be a strategy for reducing the burden of this form of laminitis.

Update August 2018.  See also:
Coleman MC, Belknap JK, Eades SC, Galantino-Homer HL, Hunt RJ, Geor RJ, McCue ME, McIlwraith CW, Moore RM, Peroni JF, Townsend HG, White NA, Cummings KJ, Ivanek-Miojevic R, Cohen ND
Case-control study of risk factors for pasture-and endocrinopathy-associated laminitis in North American horses
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2018 Aug 15;253(4):470-478. doi: 10.2460/javma.253.4.470

and The Laminitis Laboratory at New Bolton Center post 07 August 2018:
"Take-home bulletpoints from the study for risk factors for Pasture- and Endocrinopathy-Associated Laminitis (PEAL):
- Overweight body condition (BCS >/= 7 out of 9)
- Generalized or Regional adiposity (e.g., "cresty neck")
- Pre-existing endocrinopathy
- Not receiving concentrates in their diet (confounded by BCS since these horses/ponies were probably already recognized by owners/managers to be "easy keepers).
- Had received corticosteroids within 30 days (although presented with the caveat that the study included a low number of cases and controls that had received corticosteroids)
Tons of data collected by participating veterinarians all over the US and Canada made this study possible, which started as the group of authors meeting for a big brainstorming and study design session in Atlanta in 2010, many e-mail discussions, and a lot of hard work by Michelle Coleman of Texas A&M University, the lead author, and her thesis advisor during the study, Noah Cohen."

Let the laminitis data gathering begin! 
Ed Kane, dvm360, Apr 2012