Lactate Metabolism in Anxiety Neurosis

Abstract

FOUR investigations conducted in 4 countries during the past twenty-five years have shown excessive lactate production on standard exercise in patients with anxiety neurosis.1 2 3 4 The characteristic anxiety symptoms were often evoked by the exercise and appeared to be concomitant with the extremely rapid rise of blood lactic acid. In general, the patients were unable to perform as much work per unit of time or to maintain as great a workload as normal matched controls.4 5 6 The rise in blood lactate per unit of work output per unit of time in the anxiety neurotics approximates that of patients with arteriosclerotic heart disease . . .