Human cardiac metabolism.

The heart is the most metabolically active organ in the human body, and cardiac metabolism has been studied for decades. However, the bulk of studies have focused on animal models. The objective of this review is to summarize specifically what is known about cardiac metabolism in humans. Techniques available to study human cardiac metabolism are first discussed, followed by a review of human cardiac metabolism in health and in heart failure. Mechanistic insights, where available, are reviewed, and the evidence for the contribution of metabolic insufficiency to heart failure, as well as past and current attempts at metabolism-based therapies, is also discussed. Most knowledge of cardiac metabolism derives from studying model organisms. Here, Bornstein et al. review cardiac metabolism specifically in humans, including discussions of available experimental approaches, quantitative determinations of fuel use, alterations in heart failure, pharmaceutical interventions, and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]