Diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and heart rate variability

The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) on the heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and advanced stage of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN). We have examined 36 patients with T2DM and definite stage of CAN, aged between 50-59 years with disease duration 1-6 years and median glycated hemoglobin A1c 7.1%±0.12%. Patients were divided into 2 groups. The first group received traditional antihyperglycemic therapy (n=15, control) for three months; patients in group 2 (n=21) received in addition 1 g/day of the ω-3 PUFAs for three months. Results. Prescription of the ω-3 PUFAs to the patients with T2DM and definite stage of СAN was accompanied by a statistically significant increase of the time-domain HRV parameters; the spectral HRV parameters during the active and passive periods compared to the control group. Conclusion. Obtained results suggest that the efficacy of ω-3 PUFAs is the result of a direct effect of the ω-3 PUFAs on the investigated indexes.