Impaired glucose tolerance (1GT) is a clinical situation characterized by mild hyperglicemia, which is estimated to afflict 7.8% of the Brazilian population. Diabetic neuropathy is the most common: complication in diabetes mellitus and it is related to morbidity and lethality in this disease. The associatior between IGT and peripheral neuropathy is still a matter of great concern. PURPOSE AND METHOD: In order to determine if IGT is associated with autonomic neuropathy a cross-sectional study in 44 patients with impaired glucose tolerance test (Group 1) was performed. The patients were compared to 43 control individuals (Group 2). Every patient in each group underwent anamnesis and standardized autonomic tests which consisted of hear) frequency test, Valsalva maneuver, postural test and sinus arrythmia. Routine hematologic exams as well as GTT were also made. RESULTS: Patients in group 1 had more systemic arterial hypertension, centripetal obesity, fasting and post-feeding hyperglicemia and dyslipidemia when compared with group 2. When we analysed the autonomic tests, the sinus arrythmia test was abnormal in 54.5% of the patients in group 1 and in 32.5% in group 2 (p=0.0039) and the Valsalva maneuver was abnormal in 34.1% of group 1 and in 7% of group 2 (p=0.004). The postural test was not different in both groups (p=0.334). CONCLUSION: Our results show that the involvement of the autonomic nervous system was more frequent in patients with IGT when compared to controls. These findings can explair the increased lethality due to vasculopathies observed in this group of patients and also alert physicians to care for patients with impaired glucose tolerance test.
diabetes mellitus; impaired tolerance glucose; autonomic disorders; peripheral neuropathy