Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) is an inherited disease that leads to uncontrolled muscle twitching or profound muscle weakness, and in severe cases, may lead to collapse and/or death.
HYPP is listed as a genetic defect in AQHA's rules, along with Parrot Mouth and Cryptorchid conditions.
To date, HYPP only has been traced to descendants of IMPRESSIVE, #0767246.
Having negative (N/N) results on file may prevent a horse's offspring from being tested.
Foals born in 1998 and later and tracing to IMPRESSIVE will have a statement placed on their Certificates of Registration that recommends testing for the condition unless test results indicating the foal is negative (N/N) are on file with AQHA.
AQHA will test any foals who are required to be parentage verified and who trace to IMPRESSIVE for HYPP prior to them being registered. This testing will be performed with the same DNA sample submitted to the laboratory for parentage verification.
Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Occasionally, as with the Impressive mutation, the consequences are enormous. As far as we know, HYPP is only seen in horses that have inherited the gene for the disease from Impressive's bloodline. That is why we generally see the disease in Quarterhorses and horses that have Quarterhorse blood, such as Apaloosas, Paints, and Palominos. As fate would have it, not only did Impressive have a genetic mutation for his muscle sodium channel, but he also had an outwardly very desirable trait - his musculature - that resulted in him being a leading sire, thus, by the early 90s, over 50,000 Quarterhorses had Impressive inheritance. So, Impressive's physique was, in a way, a Trojan horse that allowed a huge and consequential flaw to be transmitted to a large number of horses.
www.horse-genetics.com
It seemed that Impressive would go down in history as one hell of a horse: Impressive by name, impressive by nature! And then tragedy struck when Impressive was linked to something altogether more sinister: his genetic legacy included a genetic mutation recently implicated in the rare muscular disorder known as known as hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP). Although he never exhibited symptoms of the disease himself it gradually it became evident that many of his descendants were inflicted with the painful, alarming and often fatal disease. The disorder has never been observed in horses of other lineages.