Simple tests of cardiovascular reflex function provide a global, reproducible, and non-invasive approach to clinically evaluate autonomic neuropathy, particularly in diabetic subjects.
Clinical features of autonomic neuropathy include postural hypotension, sweating abnormalities, disturbance of body temperature regulation, gastric fullness and nausea, intermittent nocturnal diarrhoea, constipation, bladder problems and impotence. In diabetic patients, gustatory sweating and hypoglycaemic unawareness also sometimes occur (Johnson secondly, those caused by toxic or pharmacological agents which interfere with autonomic reflexes; thirdly, those associated with systemic disease, of which diabetes mellitus is the most common. Other diseases which may cause autonomic dysfunction include amyloidosis, porphyria, tetanus, polyneuritis, tabes dorsalis, parkinsonism, chronic renal failure and alcoholism, and occasionally autonomic neuropathy has been associated with carcinoma of the bronchus or the pancreas (Johnson Moskowitz, 1977), many of the available tests are complex and invasive and often lack adequate control measurements (Young et al., 1975). Because of the patchy nature of autonomic neuropathy, current interest has centred around the search for bedside tests that are ‘global’, reproducible and non-invasive. This review summarizes the present state of knowledge of simple tests of cardiovascular reflex function in the clinical evaluation of autonomic neuropathy, particularly in diabetic subjects.
D J Ewing (Sun,) conducted a review in Autonomic neuropathy. Simple tests of cardiovascular reflex function was evaluated. Simple tests of cardiovascular reflex function provide a global, reproducible, and non-invasive approach to clinically evaluate autonomic neuropathy, particularly in diabetic subjects.