We have assessed the effect of fasting for 10 days on plasma concentrations of immunoreactive somatomedin C and urinary urea excretion in seven obese male volunteers. From a mean prefast value of 0.83 U/ml, plasma somatomedin C fell to 0.21 U/ml after 10 days of fasting. A prompt increase was observed with refeeding. The change in somatomedin C during fasting showed a highly significant… Read More

Activation of lipolysis by cyclic AMP in conditions with accelerated lipid mobilization was examined in subcutaneous adipose tissue incubated in vitro. In (a) 16 obese patients before and during therapeutic starvation, (b) 18 diabetics before and after antidiabetic treatment and (c) 11 hyperthyroid patients before and after anti-thyroid treatment, a positive correlation was found between… Read More

The variations in blood ketone bodies, blood glucose, and insulin were studied in 19 normal and 14 hypoglycemic children, 4 months to 13 years of age, during a 24-hour fast. Except in four patients (two with hyperinsulinism and two with congenital defect in ketogenesis), a significant increase in blood ketone bodies was observed in both controls and patients. A progressive decrease in glucose… Read More

Eight healthy men (17–31 yr) were studied in the postabsorptive state(control) and after a 59-h fast. They had venous blood drawn at rest and during 10 min of moderate work (treadmill running requiring 60% of the individual maximal oxygen uptake) succeeded by 5 min of heavy work (requiring 100% of the individual maximal oxygen uptake). Fasting resulted in a halving of insulin concentrations, a… Read More

Daily plasma citrate rhythms were followed during a 24-h day in seven subjects fed a common diet and from 0800 to 2100 hours in : (1) ten subjects fed a citrate-poor diet; (2) eight subjects who continued overnight fasting (short-term fasting) and (3) nine obese patients during the 7th day of a total fasting (long-term fasting). During feeding plasma citrate… Read More

Serum levels of T4, T3, rT3, RT3U and TSH were estimated in 12 obese women in the course of a 14-day fasting. Seven of these patients were treated with T3 in a daily dose of 60--80 micrograms. Fasting led to a small increase of serum T4, while fasting combined with T3 administration was accompanied by a small decrease of serum T4. Serum T3 decreased in the course of the first… Read More

A multiple approach programme used in 20 000 patients (3300 have been hospitalized at some time or other) for 19 years is described. It is based on operative definitions handled by an interdisciplinary team working within a therapeutic community. A diagnostic-prognostic profile is used, and so is the ambulatory treatment including an individual/group approach, and/or hospitalization with total… Read More

Serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins were measured in 16 obese female subjects before and after a short-term fast of four days. The mean body weight loss was 2.9 +/- 0.8 kg. Serum triglycerides decreased, serum, LDL, and HDL cholesterol increased significantly. Furthermore there was a significant reduction of the serum apolipoprotein B concentration, while apolipoprotein A I did not… Read More