Autonomic diabetic neuropathy
Valensi, P.
Presse Medicale 22(4): 166-172
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0755-4982 PMID: 8493228 Document Number: 407048
Diabetic autonomic neuropathy is rarely symptomatic but very frequent at a subclinical stage. Symptoms may be gastrointestinal, urinary, genital or cardiac. Sudoral, vasomotor or pupillary symptoms may also occur. Standardized cardiovascular tests are used to investigate parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous control. Because of their easy feasibility and good reproducibility they might be performed in the largest part of the diabetic population. These tests also strongly suggest that cardiac autonomic neuropathy is of poor prognosis, even when it is subclinical. Most treatments are symptomatic, but optimized diabetes control and administration of aldose reductase inhibitors are rational therapeutic measures, although their long-term effectiveness remains to be demonstrated.