Importance of serum cholesterol level in development of diabetic autonomic neuropathy.

Changes of cardiac beat-to-beat variation (BBV)--an index of autonomic nerve function--were examined on 2 occasions in an interval of 3.7-5.9 years in 33 diabetics. A total of 204 healthy people, ranging from 11 to 88 years of age, were also subjected to the BBV measurement as controls. In diabetics, a lower rate of change of BBV than the control value was considered as deterioration. Glycohemoglobin was measured every month. The mean of serum cholesterol on the 2 occasions nearest to each time BBV examination was taken for the evaluation of cholesterol level. No significant difference was observed in the control state of blood glucose in terms of glycohemoglobin between the groups with and without BBV deterioration. In 20 subjects with normal cholesterol level, 11 showed a BBV deterioration, and in 13 subjects with abnormal cholesterol level 12 deteriorated in BBV. Therefore, diabetics with normal serum cholesterol level did not seem to exacerbate autonomic neuropathy in terms of BBV.