Cardiovascular and renal complications among type 1 diabetic patients are predictive factors for sudden cardiac death and stroke. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy and autonomic neuropathy in type 1 diabetic patients with and without diastolic dysfunction in echocardiographic examination. The study was performed in a group consisting of 37 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Mean age of the study group equaled 37.24 +/- 10.85 years, duration of diabetes mellitus 21.3 +/- 9.55 years. All patients performed EKG, and cardiovascular autonomic test with ProSciCard according to Ewing battery. The following parameters were assessed: heart rate (HR), standard deviation of HR, RMSDD, VLF, LF, HF, deep breathing test, Ewing supine test and Valsalva maneuver. Systolic and diastolic function was assessed in echocardiography examination at rest. In all patients following laboratory parameters were assessed: HbA1c, total chol, LDL-chol, HDL-chol, triglicerides, uremic acid, glucose, albumin, creatinine, cystatin C, microalbuminuria.
Results: mean heart rate in the examined group --78.38 +/- 15.54 /min, VLF--1.59 +/- 1.7; LF--4.22 +/- 1.51, HF--0.82 +/- 0.88, mean heart rate during deep breathing test --79.63 +/- 13.71, Ewing ratio--0.91 +/- 0.11. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and diabetic neuropathy were diagnosed in 3 patients, these patients suffered also from proliferative retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy. The remaining group of 34 patients has normoalbuminuria. Calculated creatinine clearance according to Cockroft-Gault equation was 88.85 +/- 9.60 m/min, cystatin C concentration--0.97 +/- 0.22 ng/ml. In echocardiography exam, there were no abnormalities in systolic function, and diastolic dysfunction was diagnosed in 15 patients. Preliminary results showed that only the cystatin C level significantly differed patients with and without diastolic dysfunction in echocardiographic examination. Cystatin C could be the first sign of renal failure among these patients. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and diabetic nephropathy were diagnosed only in 3 patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in echocardiographic study.