Responses of plasma catecholamines to tilt in patients with diabetes mellitus.
The immediate heart rate acceleration, blood pressure reaction, plasma adrenaline (PA), and plasma noradrenaline (PNA) responses to a 90 degrees and 2 sec tilt were evaluated in 13 male patients with type I diabetes. A disturbed immediate acceleration, as measured by a previously described acceleration index (AI), was found in 5 patients. All patients with normal AI but only one of those with abnormal AI showed an increase in PA during the first minute after tilt (p less than 0.02). A late diastolic blood pressure fall occurred in 6 patients and the fall was minor (5 mmHg) in 5 of these. Patients with a late diastolic blood pressure fall showed a significantly lower increase in PNA 1-8 min after tilt than those without (55 +/- 13% versus 163 +/- 24% (mean +/- SE), p less than 0.005). An abnormal immediate acceleration to tilt is associated with an impaired sympatho-adrenal reaction, and even a minor diastolic blood pressure fall indicates peripheral sympathetic denervation.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D011187:Posture; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology
D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine