Sugar intake, serum insulin and platelet adhesiveness in men with and without peripheral vascular disease.

Both the level of serum insulin and the adhesiveness of platelets are correlated with sucrose intake in men with peripheral vascular disease. These correlations do not exist in men who have no signs or symptoms of the disease, or of predisposing conditions such as hypertension. The results support the suggestion of Szanto & Yudkin (1969) that an habitual high intake of sugar raises the insulin level in some individuals but not all, and that these individuals are susceptible to the effect of sucrose in producing occlusive arterial disease.