Investigation of sympathetic skin response in 81 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective To investigate the significance of sympathetic skin response (SSR) to automatic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods SSR was carried out in 81 patients with T2DM and in 30 age-and gender-matched healthy volunteers at the same time.Results There were significant difference of the onset latencies and peak amplitudes of SSR between two groups(P0.05). 85.1% of patients with T2DM showed abnormal SSR at least one limb. The SSR onset latencies of the lower limbs were prolonged significantly in poorly glycemic controlled group as compared to adequately glycemic controlled group, the SSR peak amplitudes of the lower limbs were reduced significantly in poorly glycemic controlled group as compared to adequately glycemic controlled group, while there was on significant difference in the SSR onset latencies and peak amplitudes of the upper limbs. There was no significant difference of the SSR onset latencies and peak amplitudes in two groups (diabetes duration more than 5 years or diabetes duration less than 5 years).Conclusion SSR is an objective electro-physiological method to assess the autonomic dysfunction related to DM. The abnormal SSR is significantly correlated to the blood glucose, but not to diabetes duration.