Abnormal Skin Microcirculatory Reflex in Diabetic Patients with Autonomic Neuropathy Detected by the Use of Laser Doppler Flowmeter

Autonomic neuropathy (DAN) is a well-recognized complication of diabetes. Because it is often aymptomatic1 in the early stage and has a higher mortality risk2,3, it is very important clinically. Since the first introduction of cardiovascular reflex (CVR) tests on 19734,5, they have been widely used for detecting DAN. With increasing understanding of the pathophysiology of DAN, more aspects of autonomic dysfunction have been explored.6 In the present study, we wanted to characterize the skin microvascular reflex (MVR) changes in diabetes using newly available technology — The laser Doppler flowmeter,7,8 and compare the MVR between patients with and without cardiac autonomic dysfunction, as determined by CVR tests.