J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2006 Apr;30(2):148-152.

Usefulness of Heart Rate Variability for Qualitative Evaluation of Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy

• Kim JM
• Kim JH
• Lee SY
• Lee JM
• Kho SE
• Lee IS
• Kwon SD
• Shin HJ
• Park KY

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between autonomic neuropathy and peripheral neuropathy through analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) in diabetic patients, and ultimately to investigate usefulness for HRV analysis for quantitative evaluation and prediction of diabetic autonomic neuropathy. METHOD: We performed nerve conduction study (NCS), H- reflex, and HRV test with 42 diabetic patients. We classified patients by presence of peripheral neuropathy and abnormality of H-reflex, respectively. By comparing standard deviation of RR interval (SDNN), high frequency (HF), low frequency (LF), very low frequency (VLF), and total power (whole level of frequency, TP) of HRV, we analyzed the relationship between these parameters and duration of diabetes, age, and results from NCS.
RESULTS
There were significant differences of SDNN, HF, TP according to the presence or the absence of peripheral neuropathy. There were significant differences of SDNN, HF according to the presence or the absence of H-reflex abnormality. SDNN and HF had reversed-relationship to the degree of H-reflex abnormality.
CONCLUSION
We expect HRV might be used as an efficient quantitative method to detect diabetic autonomic neuropathy and suggest HRV to be used for early detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Keyword

Neuropathy; Heart rate variability; Diabetes

MeSH Terms

Diabetic Neuropathies*
Evaluation Studies as Topic*
H-Reflex
Heart Rate*
Heart*
Humans
Neural Conduction
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases
Reflex