Possible Depression and Risk Factor for Diabetes

Depression could be the result and risk factor for diabetes

Diabetes seems to be associated with the risk of depression and vice versa, which suggests a relationship between both disorders in both directions, according to a study by the Harvard Public Health School in Boston (United States) that is published in the magazine 'Archives ofInternal Medicine '.

The researchers evaluated the relationship between these two diseases between 65,381 women who were between 50 and 75 years in 1996. The participants completed an initial questionnaire about their medical background and then follow -up questionnaires every two years until 2006.

These people were then classified according to depression if they reported symptoms, used antidepressants or had been diagnosed by a specialist.Women who reported on a new diagnosis of diabetes also completed a questionnaire about symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatments.

During the ten years of follow -up, 2,844 women were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 7,415 developed depression.Women with depression were around 17 percent more likely to develop diabetes after taking into account other risk factors such as physical activity and body mass index.Those who took antidepressants had 25 percent more risk of developing diabetes than those without depression.

According to the authors, women with diabetes were 29 percent more likely to develop depression.The women who took insulin had 53 percent more risk than those without diabetes.

The results indicate that lifestyle factors such as physical activity and body mass index could partially mediate the association between depression and new diabetes cases.However, they point out that since the association remained high after taking into account other factors, depression could have a risk effect for diabetes beyond weight and inactivity.

In addition, discoveries reinforce the idea that diabetes is associated with stress.The authors suggest that the diagnosis of diabetes could lead to depressive symptoms derived from the biochemical changes caused by diabetes or their treatment or by stress and tensions associated with living with diabetes and its weakening consequences.

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