RESUMO
Diabetes is known to affect almost all functions of the body. Long standing diabetics show several detrimental symptoms including in the heart. Diabetic neuropathy affects the cardiac autonomic function and may be reflected in the HRV (Heart rate variability). In the present study, we investigated the HRV in elderly diabetic patients in two groups, viz. moderate (FBS <126 mg/dl) and those with more FBS (FBS>126) and compared the results of Lipid profile, glycosylated Hb and HRV(both normal breathing, nb & Deep breathing, db) with the parameters in age matched controls. We found that the glycosylated Hb was significantly more in diabetics and it is proportional to the FBS (p<0.001). The HRV was found to be lower in diabetic patients. However in the moderate diabetic patients the HRV did not show significant decline, but in severe diabetics, it was significantly lower. From our studies we could reconfirm the decline in the cardiac autonomic control over a period in diabetic patients over and above the age related decrease in HRV. Therefore this result will also reinforce that HRV could be useful for analysis of the diabetic neuropathic effect on the heart.