INCREASED CATABOLISM FOLLOWING ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Abstract

IT IS well known that a disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by hyperglycemia and, at times, glycosuria may occur after myocardial infarction. Less generally recognized is the appearance of creatinuria in patients with the latter disorder.¹ These phenomena suggest the occurrence of changes in metabolism after myocardial infarction which resemble those described in other conditions of stress or damage, such as trauma,² burns,³ exposure to cold⁴ and infection.⁵ Indeed, a recent study by Davidson and others^5b records the occurrence of striking changes in intermediary metabolism in a patient in shock after myocardial infarction. The last-named authors^5b stressed the role of shock as the factor responsible for the changes observed, but in view of the fact that similar changes have been described in patients not in shock with infection or after trauma,⁶ it seemed important to study patients with myocardial infarction who were not in a state