AIMS: Present study observed the impact of blood glucose control on sympathetic and vagus functional status in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients through observing the association between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and sympathetic and vagus functional status detected by heart rate recovery (HRR) and heart rate variability (HRV) assessments. METHODS: Consecutive hospitalized DM patients were divided into well glycemic control group (HbA1c < 7.0%, group WGC, n = 100) and poor glycemic control group (HbA1c >/= 7.0%, group PGC, n = 100), 100 hospitalized patients without DM served as control group (group C). All subjects underwent blood biochemistry test, treadmill exercise testing and 24-h Holter monitoring. RESULTS: HRR and HRV parameters were significantly lower in group WGC and PGC than in group C. Standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of all 5-min average NN intervals (SDANN), very low frequency (VLF) values were significantly lower in group PGC than in group WGC. HbA1c level was negatively correlated with HRR1, SDNN, SDANN, VLF, low frequency and high frequency. Logistic regression analysis showed that lower SDNN, SDANN and VLF values were risk factors for high HbA1c levels in DM patients after adjusting for gender, age and beta-blocker use in the model 1, and for gender, age, beta-blocker use, coronary artery disease and hypertension in the model 2. CONCLUSIONS: Present results indicate that sympathetic and vagal functional status are impaired independent of HbA1c level, while poor glycemic control is related to more significant neurocardiac dysfunction in DM patients.