Effects of voluntary hyperventilation on glucose, free fatty acids and several glucostatic hormones

Background: The aim of the present study was to measure the influence of a defined period of standardised voluntary hyperventilation on the levels of glucose, free fatty acids and several glucose regulating hormones in health y volunteers. Study design: Eight healthy male subjects were submitted to 20 minutes of c ontrolled hyperventilation and blood levels of glucose, free fatty acids, i nsulin, glucagon, cortisol, catecholamines anti pCO(2) were measured before , immediately after and 20 minutes after the end of the hyperventilation pe riod. Results: The hyperventilation led to a significant increase in all above me ntioned parameters, except for glucose, where the effect was negligible. Conclusions: In view of the frequency of accompanying hyperventilation in a great variety of diseases anti notably in some intensive care patients we postulate that pitfalls in the interpretation of plasma values of substance s involved in glucose metabolism may be avoided by simultaneous determinati on of arterial pCO(2).