| Summary: | Context: An association between cardiac autonomic neuropathy and QT interval prolongation was demonstrated in many studies and it may predispose to sudden death in diabetes mellitus. Aims: To find out the prevalence of cardiac autonomic neuropathy and its relation to QTc interval and QTc dispersion in type 2 diabetes. Settings and Design: Observational study. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of more than 5-years duration and 30 age- and sex-matched controls without any history of diabetes were selected. A battery of five autonomic function tests was done in all cases. Heart rate, QTc values, and QTc dispersion were measured and compared among patients with and without autonomic neuropathy and controls. Statistical analysis used: Students t test/Chi-square test. Results: Among the 50 patients in the study population, 21 (42%) had severe autonomic neuropathy and 12 (24%) had early autonomic neuropathy. Mean heart rate was significantly more in patients with autonomic neuropathy than those without neuropathy. Diabetics with autonomic neuropathy had significantly higher QTc mean and QTc max values compared to diabetics without autonomic neuropathy and controls. QTc dispersion was significantly more among patients with autonomic neuropathy compared to those without autonomic neuropathy and controls. Conclusions: Diabetic autonomic neuropathy is associated with increase in resting heart rate and prolongation of QTc intervals. QTc max was correlating with severity of autonomic neuropathy. QTc dispersion is significantly high in diabetes mellitus with autonomic neuropathy.
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