Type 2 Myocardial Infarction Related to Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet

Abstract

A 38-year-old male with no history of cardiac disease presented with chest pain typical of acute coronary syndrome. He assumed very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (VLC-KD) 4 weeks prior to admission but no other lifestyle change. Workup showed dynamic ST-T changes on electrocardiogram, significantly elevated troponins, ketonuria, and mild rhabdomyolysis. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed mild inferior wall hypokinesia and cardiac catheterization showed normal coronaries; hence, the diagnosis of type II myocardial infarction (MI) was established. Although the pathogenesis remains unclear, this temporal association between VLC-KD and type 2 MI raised some concerns about VLC-KD’s cardiovascular safety profile.