Review Article

The ECG Vertigo in Diabetes and Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy

Table 2

Recent and major studies of the incidence of electrocardiographic abnormalities in cardiac autonomic neuropathy.

ReferencePopulation/AnimalsECG markerClinical significanceClinical points

Classical ECG markers in CAN and diabetes

[73]Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats↑ R wave amplitude,
↑ QT intervals, HRV
Early diagnosis of CAN, Diabetic CardiomyopathyBeneficial effect of aerobic exercise in R wave amplitude
[74]682 T2D + coronary heart disease↑ QTc↑ risk for sudden cardiac deathIdiopathic QT prolongation:5-fold ↑ risk of SCD
[75]1.226 T1D patients QTc incidence of CAN with intensive diabetic treatment14 years follow-up endpoint
[76]18 healthy subjects, 30–40 years PR, ↑ QTc, T-wave amplitude, STEarly diagnosis of CAN, Arrhythmiasevere arrhythmias and “dead-in-bed” syndrome in unrecognized hypoglycemia
[77]1.720 T2D patients
+ healthy
QTc > 440 msec,
HRV
↑ mortality↑ QT dispersion not significant predictor
[78]100 T1D and T2D patients↑ QTcCANAssociation with age, diabetes duration, severity of CAN
[79]192 T2D patients↑ QTc, ↑ QT dispersion12-y CVD riskSuperior to ABI, CAN test for CVD risk
[80]80 T1D patients↑ QTcCANAbsence of ventricular late potentials in QTc
[81]8.185 healthy people HRV and ↑ Heart Rate > 73 bpm60% ↑ risk of T2DIndependent of CVD disease, age, gender, life and style
[82]105 T1D and T2D patients↑ QTc > 440 msec↑ CAN severity (Ewing score)Association with age, obesity, hypertension, diabetes duration and control, diabetic treatment
[83]26 males with diabetes↑ QTc↑ 3-year SCD risk in CANIndependent of age, diabetes duration

Vectorcardiography: the alternative proposition in CAN and diabetes

[84]5.781, age ≥ 55 years, 12.7% with diabetesSpatial QRS-T angle ≥ 75°4-fold ↑ risk of 4-year CVD and SCD3-fold ↑ risk of fatal and nonfatal CVD events
[85]4.173, 14% with diabetesSpatial QRS-T angle ≥ 45°50%↑ risk of 7-year incident CVD50%↑ risk of 7-year total mortality
[56]6.134, 10% with diabetesSpatial QRS-T angle ≥ 105°5-fold ↑ risk of CVD death2-fold ↑ risk of SCD and total mortality
[86]142 women, 32% with diabetesSpatial QRS-T angle ≥ 49°1.5-fold ↑ risk of CVD events3-year prospective study
[3]232 T2D patients↑ spatial QRS-T angle↑ incidence of CAN
↑ incidence of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Association with HRV (parasympathetic tone and ↑ sympathetic tone or sympathovagal imbalance)

CAN: cardiac autonomic neuropathy; T2D: type 2 diabetes; T1D: type 1 diabetes; HRV: heart rate variability; QTc: QT interval corrected for heart rate; SCD: sudden cardiac death; CVD: cardiovascular disease; ABI: ankle-brachialindex.