Thyroid Gland and Potassium Metabolism

IN experimental thyrotoxicosis as well as in Graves' disease, there is a marked disturbance of the carbohydrate metabolism. The sugar tolerance is often lowered and glycosuria may develop. Griffiths¹ reports that in cases of Graves' disease a high-grade insulin insensitivity may be found, and that such insensitivity is diminished by thyroidectomy. It is also well known that after administration of thyroid gland or thyroxine the liver glycogen disappears and cannot be restored by administration of sugar².