Principles of Biochemistry, Volume 3 - A. Lehninger 1985

Selected Aspects of Human Biochemistry
Digestion, Nutrient Transport, and Metabolic Interrelationships
In diabetes, the level of ketone bodies increases

Another metabolic disorder characteristic of diabetes is associated with the enhanced, yet incomplete Oxidation of Fatty acids in the Liver, leading to the overproduction of Ketone Bodies, namely acetoacetate and ß-hydroxybutyrate. As a result, these two compounds accumulate in diabetic patients because their rate of utilization in peripheral Tissues lags behind their rate of formation in the liver. In addition to acetoacetate and ß-hydroxybutyrate, the Blood of patients with diabetes also contains acetone, which is formed as a result of the spontaneous decarboxylation of acetoacetate:

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Acetone is highly volatile; it is present in the patient's breath, imparting a characteristic sweetish "organic" odor. Because of this odor, a patient in a state of diabetic coma is sometimes mistaken for being intoxicated. Excessive production of ketone bodies, known as Ketosis, leads to a drastic increase in their concentration both in the blood (ketonemia) and in the urine (ketonuria).



Last update: 06/08/2026

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