Autonomic neuropathy in chronic renal insufficiency. Comparative analysis of diabetic and nondiabetic patients

Disturbances of peripheral and autonomic nervous system function were evaluated in 37 normal subjects, in 52 patients with non diabetic chronic renal insufficiency (25 predialysis patients, 27 dialysis patients), and in 21 patients with diabetic chronic renal failure (10 predialysis patients, 11 dialysis patients). In nondiabetic patients, the predialysis group showed abnormal test results indicating parasympathetic lesions, in dialysis patients these derangements were nearly normalized. In predialysis diabetic patients, the autonomic alterations were much more extensive, corresponding to alterations of electroneurographical findings; in addition to parasympathetic lesions, sympathetic disturbances were seen. In contrast to the nondiabetic groups, in dialysis patients a deterioration of autonomic lesions was observed. In conclusion, these data indicate that deranged autonomic functions are common in uremia; they improve in dialysis patients with nondiabetic renal failure in contrast to diabetic patients; in this group the autonomic functions worsen in dialysis patients as a function of duration of diabetes and hemodialysis.