A compartmental model is presented to account for transient and steady-state changes in blood glucose concentration which result from transit through the forearm and hand in man. This model permits the inter-conversion of arterial and venous data and the derivation of arterial equivalent total body glucose models from venous data. Data were obtained from subjects in thebasal state following a pulse injection of [1–14C]glucose tracer. An artery, an antecubital vein, and a dorsal vein of a heated hand (68 degrees C environment) were sampled. Blood transit time is shorter 0.3 vs. 1.0 min) and irreversible glucose loss is reduced (1.9 vs. 2.9%) in the heated hand preparation when compared to the antecubital vein preparation. Because of the smaller correction required and the smaller variation among individuals whenheated hand rather than antecubital vein data are obtained, we suggest thatfor analysis of whole-body kinetics such data should be used along with thecompartmental model correction when arterial data cannot be obtained.