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Updated: Oct 22, 2025

Methods for the Determination of Rates of Glucose and Fatty Acid Oxidation in the Isolated Working Rat Heart
Published on: September 28, 2016
Ketone bodies for the failing heart: fuels that can fix the engine?
Salva R Yurista1, Christopher T Nguyen1, Anthony Rosenzweig2
1Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiology Division, Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
Abstract:
Accumulating evidence suggests that the failing heart reverts energy metabolism toward increased utilization of ketone bodies. Despite many discrepancies in the literature, evidence from both bench and clinical research demonstrates beneficial effects of ketone bodies in heart failure. Ketone bodies are readily oxidized by cardiomyocytes and can provide ancillary fuel for the energy-starved failing heart. In addition, ketone bodies may help to restore cardiac function by mitigating inflammation, oxidative stress, and cardiac remodeling. In this review, we hypothesize that a therapeutic approach intended to restore cardiac metabolism through ketone bodies could both refuel and 'repair' the failing heart.
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