Neurológia pre prax 2/2013

Diagnostics and treatment of diabetic autonomic neuropathy

Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) is serious, common and also the most underdiagnosed complication of diabetes mellitus. Even nowadays diagnosis and treatment of DAN has not been fully appreciated, despite reported relationship of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy to an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. DAN is frequently associated with other peripheral neuropathies and other diabetic complications, but it may be also isolated, frequently preceding the detection of other complications. DAN may affect many organ systems throught body, the most common is involvement of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and genitourinary system. Major clinical manifestations of DAN include resting tachycardia, excercise intolerance, orthostatic hypotension, constipation, gastroparesis, erectile dysfunction and sudomotoric dysfunction.

Keywords: diabetic autonomic neuropathy, cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, resting tachycardia, gastroparesis, sudomotoric dysfunction.