Ambulatory ECG Monitoring As A Predictor Of Cardiac Autonomic Dysfunction In Young Type I Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Autonomic neuropathy was previously thought to be a late complication, because it was detected in patients with diabetes of long duration. As newer techniques to test autonomic function developed, however, it became clear that autonomic nervous dysfunction is present much earlier in the course of diabetes. Hence, the aim of this work was to study HR.V in type I diabetic patients for early detection of cardiac autonomic dysfunction. In the present study, 24 hr Holter monitoring for heart rate variability was assessed in 25 diabetic children and adolescent, 10 males and 15 females with an average age of 14.28+4.37 yrs. Twenty age and sex matched apparently healthy, non diabetic children were used as a control group. For all patients included in this work, the following were done: Full history taking. Thorough clinical examination. Assessment of glycemic control by measuring:­ MeanRBS. Mean glycosylated Hb. Microalbuminuria. Twelve lead ECG. Cardiovascular reflex tests. Ambulatory ECG for analysis of heart rate variability. Echocardiography for some selected cases.

Heart rate variability was assessed in our study by time domain analysis using HYUNDAI computer/Delux scan 14S.