The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) and other micro- and macrovascular complications and risk factors for type 2 diabetes. We included, in this study, 149 patients with type 2 diabetes. We evaluated their cardiovascular risk factors, demographic data, and any major micro- and macrovascular complications of their diabetes. Assessments of CAN were based upon Ewing's battery.
Results: CAN was present in 38.9% of patients. In the CAN group, the duration of diabetes, BMI, systolic blood pressure, lipid levels, and HBA1c were all significantly higher than those in the other group. A significant association was found between CAN and retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, ABI, and IMT. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that, in type 2 diabetes, the odds of CAN (OR (95% confidence intervals)) increase with the age of the patients (1.68 (1,4129-2.0025)), the average diabetes duration (0.57 (0.47-0.67)), cholesterol (1.009 (1.00-1.01)), HbA1c levels (1.88 (1.31-2.72)), peripheral neuropathy (15.47 (5.16-46.38)), BMI (1.12 (1.05-1.21)), and smoking (2.21 (1.08-4.53)).
Conclusions: This study shows that CAN in type 2 diabetes is significantly associated with other macro- and microvascular complications and that there are important modifiable risk factors for its development.