Insulin-glucose therapy in heart disease

The use of insulin, in association with glucose, is not empiric treatment in heart disease, but is based upon physiological evidence that this procedure improves the nutrition of the myocaridum. A review of the numerous published clinical reports indicates that insulin-glucose therapy has a beneficial effect on various types of heart disease, in spite of the obvious difficulty of assessing the value of any specified treatment in cardiac patients. In a group of 20 patients with heart disease, 50% improved with the use of insulin in association with a high carbohydrate diet and extra feedings of glucose. Patients with the anginal syndrome or coronary thrombosis, with or without left ventricular failure, are in particular likely to derive benefit from such therapy. It is not proposed to use insulin-glucose therapy in place of other routine measures, but more as an adjunct to other methods of treatment. Electrocardiographic studies indicate that no untoward effects are obtained following the use of insulin-glucose in the non-diabetic subject with heart disease, and evidence of improvement in the nutritional state of the myocardium is obtained in some cases. The benefit derived in cardiac patients is due not only to improved nutrition of the myocardium, but may be due in part to improved digestive functions and elevation of the general spirit of the patient.