This is a very well known fact. The attached paper reviews the current knowledge about treating autonomic neuropathy. Autonomic neuropathy is probably the most serious complication of diabetes.
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/7/1688.extract
There is discussion about whether autonomic neuropathy even precedes diabetes ! There is some evidence that it starts ( without external symptoms) even at the pre-diabetes stage.
Autonomic Neuropathy is not just related to diabetes. There are many other diseases that have autonomic imbalance and hence are at risk for cardiovascular complications. Issues like hypertension, chronic regional pain syndrome, sleep disturbances, irritable bowel syndrome, syncope to name a few have autonomic dysfunction (and hence cardiovascular risk) associated with them.
This is an area about which even the medical profession is not very well informed. The autonomic nervous system works in the background and you only notice it when it causes a problem. It really is an unsung hero in the body.
It is very critical that one informs oneself about the autonomic nervous system and its function. One needs to be sure that this system is working properly and it is in good shape.
