What is Lasix?
Contributed By Post Time PetePosted on 7/7/10 3:16 PM
On a recent trip to the track, my friend, who was experiencing his first time at the races, was perusing the Daily Racing Form when he asked me what the "L" next to a horse's name meant. I explained this meant the horse was on Lasix. He asked me what Lasix was and I explained that it was a drug administered to some horses to help prevent them from bleeding.
He started probing me with more questions on the drug, like why some horses didn't use it, why others were only using it for the first time, etc. I realized, I had been going to the track for many years and didn't really have all the answers because I never paid much attention to its use. I figured since I had been going to the track for years and never really understood all the details, that there were probably many of you who fell into that category as well. This led me to believe it was time to do some research.
The History of Lasix
In the 1970s, the demand for horses, Thoroughbreds in particular, was climbing. New tracks, additional races, and increasing popularity in the sport created a much larger demand. To meet this demand, horses were bred excessively and indiscriminately, watering down the overall talent that was available.
Race horses had occasionally experienced bleeding before, but the weakening of the breed over time, combined with increased pollution in the air and water, made it more apparent and problematic. Many states have rules and regulations regarding horses that bleed after a race. These rules govern how often a horse can race after bleeding, how much rest they must attain before racing again, and how many times a horse that experiences a certain amount of bleeding can race at all. Owners and trainers do not make money while their horse sits in the stable, so it became necessary to find a way to stop horses from bleeding after a race.
The Biological Science Behind Lasix
Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) occurs when the tiny blood vessels in a horse's lungs burst due to the stress of a race (or any extended exercise for that matter). Simple EIPH will heal naturally over the course of several days. However, horses that develop EIPH will generally experience the symptoms of it over the course of their lifetime.
Patent pulmonary hemorrhage (PPH) occurs when a horse's lungs experience a reaction to an allergen, infection, or hypertension. PPH is generally more serious and requires treatment with various medications.
Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) has never been linked to a direct attribute. However, extensive exercise and exposure to dust for an extended period of time are generally involved. Some horses experience combined effects of EIPH, PPH and IAD.
Lasix, the trade name for the drug Furosemide, is a diuretic. In other words, it's a drug that forces fluids in the body to be expelled in urine. This lowers blood pressure and decreases the effects of EIPH and the likelihood of minor bleeding.
The Lasix Debate
The impact of Lasix on the sport of horse racing is widespread and can't be ignored. Experts argue that, not only does it allow poor horses who normally wouldn't be competitive a chance to compete, but it makes good horses better. There are several ways this is said to happen.
Similar to a jockey using a sauna to sweat out excess fluids and drop body weight, Lasix forces horses to urinate excess body fluids, sometimes up to several gallons. This large decrease in body fluid allows horses to ride "lighter" and as we know from handicapping, weight can make a significant difference.
Others suggest the increased urine allows a horse to flush out traces of steroids or other performance enhancing (and illegal) drugs.
Proponents of Lasix point out that almost all horses experience bleeding to a certain extent, most very minor. The use of Lasix as a treatment has been proven effective and allows horses to overcome physical ailments.
Conclusion
Regardless of where you fail in the debate, it's impossible to ignore the impact Lasix has had on the sport of horse racing. Since almost all horses bleed, it is very easy to receive permission to put a horse on Lasix. The race my friend and I attended the other day at Delaware Park is living proof of this - every single horse in all 10 of the races that day were using the drug.
The use of controlled medications like Lasix doesn't appear as though it's about to change. However, we believe the sport will need to keep tight regulations on the use of these drugs and find new ways to test for illegal performance enhancers.
That's what we think, what are your thoughts?
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