[The assessment of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), microalbuminuria and diabetic autonomous neuropathy in children with type 1 diabetes and hypertension].

Introduction: The late complications of diabetes consisted of autonomic neuropathy, nephropathy, which more often coexist with hypertension in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. THE AIM OF THE STUDY was to assess the connections between changes in the autonomous nervous system, 24-hour ABPM and daily albumin excrection in children with hypertension and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Material: The group consisted of 72 patients with diabetes (diabetes duration time 6.5+/-1.5 years). 34 patients of that group have hypertension. The control group consisted of 30 healthy children matched according to age and sex.

Results: In children with hypertension we found significantly often occurrence of microalbuminuria (13/34 i 1/38, p<0.001). In 17 patients from the group with hypertension and 17 patients without hypertension we affirm signs of autonomic neuropathy. The values of heart rate variability (HRV) were significantly decreased in the group with hypertension as compared to the control group. A stepwise multiple regression analysis with hypertension as a dependent variable and diabetes duration time, microalbuminuria, HbA1c level, HRV parameters and a presence of autonomous neuropathy as predictors proved that hypertension is associated with higher HbA1c level (b=0.35), the presence of autonomous neuropathy (b=0.28), and lower HF values (b=0.41) (p<0.01).

Conclusions: Hypertension in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus is correlated with the presence of autonomous neuropathy, higher HbA1c level and lowered values of heart rate variability parameters.