The Vitamin B Complex and Fasting Blood-Sugar Levels: An Investigation into the Changes in Fasting Blood-Sugar Levels of Diabetic and Non-diabetic Patients Following the Intravenous Injection of Aneurin, Riboflavin and Nicotinamide, with a Review of Relevant Literature, and a Note on Diabetic Neuritis

Wylie, C. M (1949) The Vitamin B Complex and Fasting Blood-Sugar Levels: An Investigation into the Changes in Fasting Blood-Sugar Levels of Diabetic and Non-diabetic Patients Following the Intravenous Injection of Aneurin, Riboflavin and Nicotinamide, with a Review of Relevant Literature, and a Note on Diabetic Neuritis. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

In the writer's own investigations, aneurin, riboflavin and nicotinamide were administered separately and together to diabetic and non-diabetic patients. No significant changes occurred in the blood-sugar levels during the three hours following administration. Many of the previous, more favourable reports were based on inadequately controlled experiments with too small numbers of cases. In some reports, the accuracy of the biochemical work was questionable. The main drawback of the present investigations is that the number of diabetics tested is still too small. Precautions were taken to verify any marked changes in the blood-sugar levels, to exclude the possibility that they were due to inaccuracies in the biochemical estimations. It is now becoming fairly clear that while various factors in the vitamin B complex play important parts in the metabolism of carbohydrates, it is not likely that any of them could take the place of, or increase the effect of insulin. There is also no definite evidence that an increased need of the vitamins exists in uncomplicated diabetes. Vitamin B therapy is therefore not necessary in the routine treatment of diabetes. But it is also now becoming more generally recognised that vitamin B supplements are useful in many complications of diabetes, such as infections, parenteral feeding and old age. Opinions are now more prevalent that very few, if any, cases of diabetic neuritis are due to aneurin deficiency. In the absence of any other definite cause, however, it seems that intensive and prolonged aneurin therapy is still worthy of trial in diabetic neuritis.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Medicine, Physiology
• Date of Award: 1949
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1949-79719
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 03 Mar 2020 10:43
• Last Modified: 03 Mar 2020 10:43
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/79719