Dysautonomia, thermoregulation and prevention of the diabetes mellitus type 2

Abstract

Before the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (DM2), many patients had a high-energy diet. Once DM2 is present, patients may exhibit abnormal thermoregulation, which is a process controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The hypothalamus in the central nervous system regulates feeding and body temperature, and abnormal thermoregulation may be present in individuals at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In this study, thermoregulation was assessed by analyzing the temperature distribution along the midline of the foot, which was obtained from thermograms of the plantar skin. Thermograms were obtained from both healthy individuals and those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes (DM2). Three main features distinguish thermograms from young, healthy individuals (TMFYHI): first, the temperature distribution is similar between both feet; second, the highest temperature is registered in the mid-arch region; and third, the temperature decreases smoothly from the mid-arch region towards the toes and calcaneus. The features observed in young, healthy individuals (TMFYHI) are also present in young individuals with obesity, as well as in healthy individuals over fifty years of age, although there may be variations in the average temperature. However, in individuals at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, at least one of these features may be lost. These results suggest that a high-energy diet prior to the onset of type 2 diabetes may alter certain hypothalamic functions, leading to abnormal thermoregulation and dysautonomia.