Relationship between Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy and Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients with Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Lee, Jae Chun; Nam, Sang Yob; Yoon, Ji Sung; Park, Jin Chul; Won, Kyu Chang; Cho, Ihn Ho; Lee, Hyoung Woo; Lee, Hyun Woo

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The presence of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy may play a permissive role in the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy. But, there is little information regarding the degree of association between the progression of diabetic retinopathy and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Thus, this study defined the relationship between the progression of diabetic retinopathy and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.
METHODS
Seventy-nine patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus were separated into 2 groups based on the presence of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy. Age, body mass index, duration of illness, plasma creatinine, BUN, fasting plasma glueose, glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile and 24hr urine total protein were not statistically different among the two groups. According to indirect ophthalmoscopy, patients were also classified as having proliferative, non-proliferative or no retinopathy.
RESULTS
The results showed a striking relntionship between cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy(p<0.01). Corrected QT interval was more prolonged in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients with cnrdiovascular autonomic neuropathy than patients without cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy(p<0.05). In non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, there was no relationship between the prolongation of corrected QT interval and proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and there was no significant relationship between each of 5 components of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy test and proliferative diiabetic retinopathy.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that the presence of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy is strongly associated with proliferative retinopathy in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. But, long-term prospective studies on large cohorts of patients must be done to evaluate if cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy would be a risk factor or a risk indicator of an etiologic process underlying the development of proliferative retinopathy.