Diabetic autonomic neuropathy as a risk factor for emergencies

Abstract

Diabetic autonomic neuropathy includes damage of various organ systems. The manifestations of autonomic neuropathy usually occur in setting of distal sensory motor polyneuropathy but autonomic disorders may be presented disproportionately compared to sensory and motor disorders. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy increases the risk of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death, significantly reduces the patients’ quality of life, and exacerbates other vascular complications of diabetes mellitus. There are cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and urogenital forms of diabetic autonomic neuropathy and damaged function of autonomic nerve fibers involving respiratory system, pupils, sudoriferous glands, thermoregulatory and endocrine system. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy is the most studied, clinically meaningful and prognostically pejorative form of autonomic neuropathy. Autonomous diabetic neuropathy can cause frequent emergency admissions of patients with this pathology, increased mortality in patients with diabetes, which requires informing of general practitioners, endocrinologists, and intensivists about the features of the clinical manifestations and course of this disease.