PREGNANCY IS NOT A RISK FACTOR FOR A DETERIORATION OF AUTONOMIC NERVOUS FUNCTION IN DIABETIC WOMEN

Pregnancy may have an untoward effect on diabetic retinopathy and neph ropathy and symptoms of autonomic neuropathy may also be exacerbated d uring pregnancy. To test the hypothesis that previous pregnancies duri ng the diabetic state are associated with increased risk of developmen t of autonomic dysfunction, autonomic nervous function and pregnancy h istory were assessed in 117 women with long-standing Type 1 diabetes m ellitus. Thirty-eight women (32 %) had autonomic dysfunction, defined as at least one abnormal cardiovascular test. The presence of autonomi c dysfunction was not related to the number of pregnancies during the disease state. Thus, this cross-sectional study suggests that pregnanc ies do not represent a risk factor for a deterioration of autonomic ne rvous function and development of autonomic neuropathy in diabetic wom en.