Association between continuous glucose monitoring metrics and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in diabetic patients: a systematic review.

Abstract

Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a serious and prevalent complication of diabetes, linked to significant morbidity and mortality. Continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGM) provide a comprehensive and continuous glucose profile, enabling precise assessment of glycemic variability, hypoglycemia, and other key glucose metrics. Despite the increasing use of CGM, the relationship between CGM-derived metrics and CAN risk has yet to be rigorously evaluated. A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Medline, and Embase was conducted up to 30 September 2024. Eligible observational studies assessed the association between CGM metrics and CAN in diabetic adults, using ORs with 95% CIs. Heterogeneity was evaluated via Cochrane's Q and I² statistics, and meta-analysis was performed when at least three studies provided comparable CGM metrics and outcomes. Sixteen studies involving 1,814 participants were included in the systematic review. Among these, four studies each for coefficients of variation (CV) and standard deviation (SD), and five studies for mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) provided data suitable for meta-analysis. Higher CV (OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.04-1.12) and SD (OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01-1.06) were significantly associated with increased CAN risk, whereas MAGE was not significantly associated (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.99-1.03). Other metrics such as time in range (TIR), time above/below range (TAR/TBR), and low blood glucose index (LBGI) showed inconsistent results across studies and were synthesized narratively. Higher glycemic variability, notably CV and SD, is linked to increased CAN risk in patients with diabetes. Monitoring CGM metrics may aid early detection and management of CAN. Further high-quality longitudinal studies are warranted.