Cardiac complications of the ketogenic diet, in the absence of selenium deficiency, have not been reported. Twenty patients on the ketogenic diet at one institution were investigated. Prolonged QT interval (QTc) was found in 3 patients (15%). There was a significant correlation between prolonged QTc and both low serum bicarbonate and high beta-hydroxybutyrate. In addition, three patients had evidence of cardiac chamber enlargement. One patient with severe dilated cardiomyopathy and prolonged QTc normalized when the diet was discontinued.
The absence of the pulmonary valve in connection with tricuspid atresia and intact ventricular septum is a rare malformation, associated with a poor prognosis. The right ventricle is severely hypertrophied, resembling a cardiac mass protruding into the left ventricular outflow tract. We report such a case that underwent successful palliation with a Blalock-Taussig shunt followed by a superior cavopulmonary anastomosis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.