[Hyperglycemia in acute myocardial infarction (author's transl)]

50 non-diabetic patients, less then 70 y.o. and with fasting blood sugar (FBS) subsequently proved to be normal, consecutively admitted to the Coronary Care Unit by the 10th hour of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), have been studied. Blood sugar (BS) and white blood cell count (WBC) on admission and serum CPK every four hour until the 36th hour, have been determined. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) has been performed at least one week later, when FBS has been determined. In 16 patients with normal OGTT the test has been repeated twice, 4 to 15 months later, before and after a cortisone load. Data have been statistically computed. Mean blood sugar on admission was significantly higher then mean FBS. No correlation was found between BS and WBC neither between BS and maximal CPK. No significant difference has been found between the mean BS on admission among 25 patients with normal OGTT and the one among the remaining 25 patients with abnormal OGTT. The OGTT was confirmed to be normal in the 16 patients belonging to the former group, who had the test repeated, with a single exception as far as the cortisone-OGTT is concerned. The above results are consistent with the opinion that the hyperglycemia usually observed during the first hours of AMI, is related to the acute medical stress and in no way indicates subclinical and/or latent diabetes.