"Intrinsic" heart rate in diabetic neuropathy.

Changes of heart frequency have been studied in diabetic neuropathy by blocking autonomic innervation of the heart with atropine and propranolol (intrinsic rate). It was found that in diabetic neuropathy the initial heart rate was higher than in the controls and in non-neutropathic diabetics, but this higher frequency could not be increased any further by the administration of atropine and propranolol compared to the values registered in the other two groups.