Background
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and has long standing complication including both micro and macro vascular ones. One of the common underdiagnosed complications of diabetes is cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN), which encompasses damage to the autonomic nerve fiber that innervates the heart and blood vessels.
Objective
The aim of this work was to assess the prevalence of CAN in Egyptian people with type 2 diabetes.
Patients and Methods
The study was conducted on 120 subjects with type 2 diabetes. CAN was assessed by a group of defined cardiovascular autonomic reflex tests including (Resting heart rate, Heart rate response to standing, Beat-to-beat HRV, Blood pressure response to standing, Diastolic blood pressure response to isometric exercise and QTc interval). Patients with CAN were subsequently divided into three groups, Early, Definite and severe CAN.
Results and Conclusion
The prevalence of CAN is high in Egyptian people with type 2 diabetes amounting to 60%. Percentage of patients that had early, definite and severe CAN was 15%, 36.7% and 8.3% respectively. Positive significant independent correlation was found between CAN, HbA1c and serum total cholesterol.