Cardiovascular risk and heart rate variability in young adults with type 2 diabetes and arterial stiffness: The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study.

AIMS: To evaluate cardiovascular risk factors and heart rate variability (HRV) in young adults with type 2 diabetes and arterial stiffness and to explore the relationship between HRV and arterial stiffness.

METHODS: We studied 185 young adults with youth-onset T2D enrolled in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Cardiovascular risk factors and HRV were compared between individuals with and without type 2 diabetes and arterial stiffness (defined as a pulse wave velocity greater than the 90th percentile of healthy controls, >6.767 m/s). Semiparametric regression evaluated the independent relationship between HRV and PWV.

RESULTS: Participants with T2D and arterial stiffness were more likely to be older, non-Hispanic Black, have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, greater adiposity and obesity-related dyslipidemia (higher triglycerides and lower HDLC). Participants with T2D and arterial stiffness also had lower overall HRV (lower SDNN) with parasympathetic loss (lower RMSSD and PNN50), p < 0.05. Lower HRV tended to be but was not significantly associated with arterial stiffness after adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, sex and cardiovascular risk factors (beta coefficient = -1.11, p = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS: Youth with T2D and arterial stiffness have a worse cardiovascular risk profile, specifically risk factors related to the metabolic syndrome and lower HRV.