Autonomic dysfunction in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes in south India.

The prevalence of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in non-insulin-dependent (Type 2) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes (FCPD) was assessed by a standard battery of autonomic dysfunction tests involving heart rate responses and blood pressure responses. Three hundred and thirty-six patients with NIDDM and 40 patients with FCPD were studied. Logistic regression analysis was done to look for risk factors associated with autonomic dysfunction. Abnormalities of autonomic function tests were detected in 120 NIDDM patients (35.7%) and 9 FCPD patients (22.5%). There was no significant difference in severity of autonomic dysfunction between NIDDM and FCPD groups. There was an increase in prevalence of autonomic dysfunction with age and duration of diabetes both in NIDDM and FCPD. In the 0-5 years duration group, 28.2% of NIDDM and 16.6% of FCPD had evidence of disordered autonomic function and these figures increased to 56.2% and 60% respectively, after 16-20 years duration of diabetes. Logistic regression analysis showed that only peripheral dysfunction was associated with autonomic dysfunction in NIDDM patients (r = 0.66, p = 0.02).