[Major metabolic disturbances occur in diabetic patients whether they are obese or not (author's transl)].

The authors analyzed the effects of obesity/non-obesity in 162 epidoses of severe metabolic disturbances. Ketoacidosis and hypoglycaemics comas were more frequent in the non-obese group of diabetics, who were often insulin treated; whereas hyperosmolar coma and lactic acidosis were frequent in the obese group of diabetics, usually not treated with insulin. In the obese group both advanced age as well as a higher frequency of degenerative complications impaired the prognosis of these metabolic accidents. However the mortality rate was not significantly different in the two groups of patients. Despite the importance of the weight balance in the natural history of diabetes mellitus, it did not seem to influence the clinical aspects nor did it modify the therapeutic management of the major metabolic disturbances which occur in diabetes.