Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Decreased sleep quality and lower heart rate variability (HRV) have both independently been associated with diabetes and may contribute to risks for cardiovascular disease. Although poor sleep quality has been associated with lower HRV in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), studies of sleep quality in adolescents with (T2D) or studies examining the possible association of poor sleep quality with lower HRV in adolescents with T2D or T1D are not available. AIM: Thus, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from an existing study to determine if there were associations between sleep quality and HRV in adolescents with T1D or T2D. METHODS: Adolescents with T1D (n = 101) or T2D (n = 37) completed 24-h HRV Holter monitoring and analysis and a self-reported global measure of sleep quality. RESULTS: Poor sleep quality was significantly associated with lower HRV, a known predictor for CV risk. Those with T2D had lower measures of HRV. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of sleep quality and early signs of cardiovascular autonomic changes should be considered in routine assessments of adolescents with diabetes. Future research is warranted to examine more robust measures of sleep and HRV in adolescents with diabetes.