How does peripheral neuropathy affect the heart?
1 Answer
Aug 19, 2016
Peripheral neuropathy can cause unusually high or low heart rates and limit the ability to increase heart rate on exertion.
Explanation:
Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the nerves beyond the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system).
These nerves act as "messengers" to send sensory information such as pain and temperature back to the brain.
The autonomic nervous system carries information to and from organs such as the heart.
With respect to the heart, autonomic neuropathy can cause symptoms such as:
- tachycardia — a resting heart rate over 100 beats per minute (bpm)
- bradycardia — a heart rate of under 60 bpm
- inability to detect pain associated with a heart attack
- inadequate increase of heart rate on exertion
