Is pancreatic polypeptide response to food ingestion a reliable index of vagal function in type 1 diabetes?

The diagnosis of autonomic neuropathy in diabetic patients is based on cardiovascular reflex tests. Since cardiac function may be affected by arteriosclerosis and cardiomyopathy in type 1 diabetes mellitus, alternative tests reflecting vagal nerve function, in other organ systems, are needed. In this study the pancreatic polypeptide (PP) response to a mixed meal was evaluated in healthy subjects and in recently diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients.