Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy in Children and Youth with Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Study.

This study compared the cardiac autonomic function in 30 children and youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with 30 age- and sex-matched healthy siblings using Cardiovascular Autonomic Reflex Tests (CARTs). The T1D group showed consistently poorer performance across all parameters, indicating reduced autonomic function. The 30:15 ratio was significantly lower in the T1D group (P = 0.027), suggesting impaired heart rate response to postural change. Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) was identified in 30% of cases. These findings underscore the importance of early CAN screening in young individuals with T1D.