Prevalence of diabetic autonomic neuropathy measured by simple bedside tests

To investigate the prevalence of diabetic autonomic neuropathy, five simple bedside tests, beat-to-beat variation during quiet respiration, beat-to-beat variation during forced respiration, heart rate and blood pressure response to standing, heart rate response to exercise, and heart rate response to Valsalva's manoeuvre were applied to 75 male insulin-dependent diabetics, mean age 40 years, (range 30-49 years). The subjects were subdivided into three groups according to duration of diabetes, which was between 0 and 40 years. Twenty-eight healthy age-matched male controls were also studied. The prevalence of diabetic autonomic neuropathy in the whole diabetic population indicated by abnormal response in beat-to-beat variation during forced respiration was 27%. Diabetic autonimic neuropathy increased in frequency with duration of disease. Patients with nephropathy or proliferative retinopathy had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetic autonomic neuropathy as indicated by abnormal beat-to-beat variation during forced respirations (p less than 0.01) than patients without these complications.