Myocardial blood flow and oxygen consumption during postprandial lipemia and heparin-induced lipolysis.

A LTHOUGH the status of regional vascular tone and total cardiac output have been established as important determinants of regional blood flow, the precise role of the physical state of circulating blood has not been extensively explored. A study by Kety' in man has indicated that the increased corpuscular mass of polyeythemia vera can be associated with a reduced cerebral blood flow. The induction of plasma lactescence in man after high lipid ingestion may also result in alterations of regional blood flow. Erythrocyte aggregation with circulatory slowing has been observed as a consequence of this postprandial circumstance,2 and varied clinical data have been accumulated to assign to it a pathogenetic basis for cardiac ischemia.2' 3 To assess the consequences of the postprandial lipemic state upon myocardial blood flow and oxygen consumption these parameters have been studied during maximal plasma lactescence, and contrasted with the findings during post-heparin clearing and with data obtained in a group of fasting control subjects.