Plasma glycerol concentration in patients with myocardial ischemia and arrhythmias.

Abstract

Plasma glycerol concentration was estimated in patients admitted to hospital because of acute chest pain. The patients were later divided into different groups according to their diagnosis, e.g. myocardial infarction with arrhythmias, uncomplicated myocardial infarction, angina, and pains of noncardiac origin. Patients with myocardial infarction complicated by arrhythmias showed significantly higher plasma glycerol concentrations than patients with uncomplicated infarction or angina. Plasma glycerol concentration, which is a better index of lipid mobilization and, indirectly, of the sympathetic activity, than plasma free fatty acid level, might be used to select cases with myocardial infarction prone to get complicating arrhythmias.