A STUDY OF THE CORRELATION OF THE BASAL METABOLISM AND PULSE RATE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTHYROIDISM

Abstract

Since the first description of the syndrome known as hyperthyroidism, tachycardia has been noted as one of its classical signs, and until more recent years a careful study of the pulse rate was regarded as probably the most valuable single objective test from the standpoint of diagnosis, and as an indication of the severity and course of the disease. More recently it has been held that the determination of the basal metabolism gives a more accurate estimate of the degree of hyperthyroidism than has hitherto been possible. An intensive study of the basal metabolism in hyperthyroidism is being carried on at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, and it seemed worth while as an incident in this to attempt to correlate the changes in pulse rate with basal metabolism. If a fairly definite and constant relationship exists between the two, one then would have the means of roughly estimating the height