ABSTRACT
This chapter considers a few disease states that have distinct metabolic connections, both in the underlying condition and in the experimental approach. Metabolism is not the only consideration in the analysis of medical issues, but these examples illustrate a growing interest in the area and the need to consider the fundamentals of metabolic principles. Diabetes is a disease which clearly displays its underlying metabolic disorder. The major energy pathways of carbohydrate and lipid are dysregulated, with excessive glucose and fatty acid concentrations in the blood. Metformin is presently the most widely prescribed drug for diabetes treatment. A stimulation of respiration by metformin would explain the known metabolic targets, in particular the increase in fatty acid oxidation. It supports the general notion that metformin acts to increase energy formation by cells.
