Greater Depression Severity Linked with Increased Diabetes Risk
A recent study found that with greater depression severity, metabolic and clinical characteristics such as HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, and triglyceride levels increased.
The severity of depression is positively correlated with the risk of diabetes and could be linked to different glycemic and metabolic markers, according to new research published in the journal Scientific Reports.2 Authors of the study said the findings highlight the importance of regularly monitoring diabetes parameters in patients with depression.
Greater Depression Severity Linked with Increased Diabetes Risk / Halfpoint - stock.adobe.com
Approximately 9.5% of adults in the United States suffer from a depressive illness each year and 14.7% of adults have diabetes.2,3 As rates of both conditions continue to rise, a significant need exists to strengthen public health interventions for disease management and prevention. While previous research has focused on depression caused by diabetes, there is a lack of data on type 2 diabetes induced by depression.
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“Numerous studies suggest a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and depression, with individuals with diabetes being 2–3 times more likely to develop depression than the general population,” the authors wrote. “Conversely, depression increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by approximately 60%. The comorbidity of depression and diabetes can impair self-management and reduce treatment adherence, potentially exacerbating each other and thereby increasing healthcare costs and placing a substantial burden on families and society.”
Investigators from Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine conducted a study to determine whether the presence and severity of depression are associated with an increased risk of diabetes. Data for the study was gathered from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a population-based cross-sectional survey assessing the health and nutritional status of Americans conducted by the CDC.
The study cohort included 30386 participants aged 20 years and older who filled out the CDC survey between 2005 and 2020. Symptoms of depression were evaluated by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and diabetes status was assessed using glucose parameters and questionnaires, including HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, random blood glucose, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test, physician diagnosis, and use of hypoglycemic drugs or insulin.
The investigators found there that was an upward trend in the annual prevalence of diabetes, depression, and their comorbidity during the study period. From 2005 to 2006 through 2017 to 2020, rates of both conditions nearly doubled. Of the participants, 4806 had mild depression, 1688 had moderate depression, and 996 had severe depression. Depression was higher in females, non-Hispanic White participants and smokers.
With greater depression severity, metabolic and clinical characteristics such as HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, and triglyceride levels increased. The prevalence of diabetes was significantly higher in the depression groups and increased with higher depression severity. Additionally, the proportion of individuals with higher BMI also significantly increased in the depression groups.
Study limitations include the retrospective cross-sectional design, that diagnosis of depression was primarily based on questionnaires, and that the analyzed data primarily came from North American populations. The authors noted that future research should use longitudinal designs to better explore causal relationships.
“[A]s the interaction between depression and diabetes is influenced by various biological, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and lifestyle factors, it is crucial to emphasize regular follow-up for patients with comorbid depression and diabetes,” the authors concluded. “A multidisciplinary intervention approach, including optimizing medication, improving lifestyle, and providing psychological support, should be adopted to comprehensively manage the patients’ physical and mental health, ultimately reducing disease burden and improving outcomes.”
READ MORE: Diabetes Resource Center
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