A focused review of the role of ketone bodies in health and disease.

Ketone bodies are produced in the liver and are utilized in other tissues in the body as an energy source when hypoglycemia occurs in the body. There are three ketone bodies: acetoacetate, beta hydroxy butyrate, and acetone. Ketone bodies are usually present in the blood, and their level increases during fasting and starvation. They are also found in the blood of neonates and pregnant women. In diabetic ketoacidosis, high levels of ketone bodies are produced in response to low insulin levels and high levels of counter-regulatory hormones.