Svetlana Kseneva, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Chief Physician at the Clinic of the Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk NRMC, discussed the results of developing a technology to prevent fatal complications of metabolic syndrome.
Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) a complication associated with diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome in which the autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system is disrupted.
In cardiac autonomic neuropathy, the nerve fibers coordinating heart function cease to perform properly. This may manifest as heart rate instability. For example, a person may easily lose consciousness when moving from a lying to a standing position. Such patients have a high risk of myocardial infarction, which may be asymptomatic, complicating timely intervention.
In 1996, a task force led by the European Society of Cardiology and the American Electrophysiology Society proposed recommendations for diagnosing cardiac autonomic neuropathy, but in practice these proved quite difficult to implement and interpret.
“In 2016, we devised a way to optimize this process: we developed a method that allows diagnosis in just 10 minutes. The patient lies down, and we measure ECG parameters for 5 minutes. Then they stand up, and we take repeat measurements. In the final stage, the physician compares and analyzes the obtained data to assess the state of nervous regulation, “ — explained Svetlana Kseneva.
One of the key risk factors for developing cardiac autonomic neuropathy is diabetes mellitus. During research, scientists at the Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk NRMC, discovered that the CAN diagnostic method developed in 2016 is effective not only for patients with diabetes but also for individuals with metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic disorders associated with excess body weight that increase the risk of developing serious diseases.
“We conducted a large cross-sectional study and found that the risk of developing cardiac autonomic neuropathy in patients without diabetes but with metabolic syndrome is quite high. Furthermore, we developed a method for determining the disease stage. This is important for assessing treatment effectiveness, “ — notes Svetlana Kseneva.
The scientists conducted a pilot study offering CAN patients a course of treatment with a combination of drugs originally intended for treating other diabetes complications, such as diabetic foot or retinal disease. As a result, patients' nervous regulation became more adequate and responsive to stress. “This means that organs and tissues have practically restored nervous regulation corresponding to the stresses experienced by the body, ” — added Svetlana Kseneva. “The new treatment method helps prevent fatal complications of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Currently, CAN is rarely detected and practically untreated anywhere. We are trying to solve this problem and disseminate information about the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities for this complication. Perhaps in the future, we will be able to implement the method we developed for diagnosing CAN in other medical institutions across the country.”
- To date, the scientists have registered three patents for this research: for diagnostic methods (patent RU 2585741), for determining complication stage (patent RU 2817843), and for its therapy (patent RU 2836078).
- Co-authors of the method: Svetlana Kseneva, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Chief Physician at the Clinic of the Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk NRMC; Ekaterina Pykhtunova, Physician at the Clinic of the Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk NRMC; Vladimir Udut, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Director for Scientific and Therapeutic Work at the Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk NRMC.