Abstract

GUTIERREZ, Oswaldo et al. Utilidad del análisis de la variabilidad de la frecuencia cardíaca en la valoración de neuropatía autonómica diabética. Rev. costarric. cardiol [online]. 2000, vol.2, n.3, pp.4-12. ISSN 1409-4142.

Introduction. A recognized diabetes mellitus complication is autonomic neuropathy (DAN), that is usually diagnosed by clinical criteria. Heart rate variability analysis (HRV) consist in the study of time variations along consecutive heart beats, reflecting autonomic influence, with prognostic importance. Objetive. To determine usefullness of HRV analysis as ancilliary method for diagnosis and follow-up of patients with DAN. Materials y methods. We selected type 2 diabetic patients with clinical diagnosis of DAN and without DAN, as control group. Also we included healthy individuals. For data adquisition we used a PowerLab equipment with a single electrocardiographic lead, during 5 minutes. We calculate time domain and frequency domain variables and compared it between groups. Results. We studied 6 diabetic patients witn DAN, 3 without DAN and 6 normal subjects. The most dramatic difference ocurred in diabetics with DAN. Comparing mean values between both groups of diabetics we observed statistical differences in time domain and in frequency domain variables: SDNN 26.799 vs 12.601, p=0.047, SDdNN 21.880 vs 9.953, p=0.031, RMSSD 21.841 vs 9.940, p=0.03), LF 125.937 vs 35.077, p=0.1 and HF 67.717 vs 14.472, p=0.02). We did not found differences between diabetes without DAN and normal controls. Conclusion. HRV analysis is usefull in evaluating cuantitatively DAN, with prognosis information.

Keywords : Heart rate variability; diabetes.