Cardiac autonomic neuropathy can be diagnosed with a noninvasive eye exam
Study the regulation of heartbeats through a simple photograph of the cornea. This is the method implemented by the researchers ofUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma to diagnose cardiac autonomic neuropathy in time, a frequent complication of diabetes and cause of cardiac arrhythmias as well as sudden death.
Unfortunately – explain the specialists of theEndocrinology Unit UCBM – it is a disease often ignored as the traditional diagnostic tests on cardiac autonomic reflexes are easily distorted by the assumption of drugs and food, and require a considerable investment of time and a punctual collaboration of the patient. As a result, diagnosis is often delayed.
“The neuronal fibers of the cornea – explains the endocrinologist Ernesto Maddaloni, first author of the work published on Diabetic Medicines e World Journal of Diabetes together with the ophthalmologist UCBM Francesco Sabatino – are identical to those that regulate the involuntary functions of the body, including heart rhythm. Corneal photography therefore allows us to have precise information on the state of the nervous system in diabetic patients without having to resort to invasive instruments".
Funded by the Rome Foundation, the project will allow diabetic patients to carry out a screening of complications is less invasive and time-consuming, with the possibility of an early diagnosis that allows one to adapt lifestyles and undertake appropriate therapeutic courses.