Frequency of Autonomic Neuropathy Occurrence among Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Objectives: Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) is the most common and grave complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, we determined the frequency of autonomic neuropathy among both type1 and type 2 diabetic patients in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at Capital Development Authority (CDA) Hospital, Pakistan. The adult patients who had DM for at least last five years were assessed for this study. Four cardiovascular reflex tests were performed on each patient. Pre-prandial and two hours postprandial blood glucose were also measured. Results: A total of 200 patients were recruited for the study. Of them, 133 (66.5%) patients had autonomic neuropathy. Cardiovascular involvement was seen in 86 (43%), gastrointestinal involvement in 93(46%) and genitourinary involvement in 15 (7.5%) patients. The frequency of autonomic neuropathy did not differ between type 1 and type 2 DM patients (p=0.246). However, the frequency of autonomic neuropathy was found to be predominant among the subjects with long history of DM (p=0.016). Conclusion: We conclude that frequency of autonomic dysfunction is more common among patients with long standing DM patients. Hence, all the diabetic patients with disease duration of more than 5 years should be evaluated for autonomic dysfunction.