Myocardial sympathetic innervation in patients with impaired glucose tolerance: relationship to subclinical inflammation.

Aim: This study was designed to assess cardiac adrenergic nerve activity, using iodine (I)-123-labeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and to investigate its relation to circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines.

Methods: We studied 22 patients with IGT (aged 34-68 years) and 18 age-matched healthy controls, using I-123 MIBG cardiac imaging. The early (10 min) and late (4 h) heart to mediastinum MIBG uptake (H/M) ratio and washout were calculated.