Diabetes May Cause Depression, Depression Can Cause Diabetes
The link between depression and diabetes risk works the other way round too; diabetes can cause depression. Put simply, diabetes can cause depression and depression can cause diabetes, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health wrote in Archives of Internal Medicine. Over 10% of all US adults have diabetes; for those aged at least 60 years the figure is 23%. About 14.8 million Americans are affected by a major depressive disorder annually. The authors explained: "Although it has been hypothesized that the diabetes-depression relation is bidirectional, few studies have addressed this hypothesis in a prospective setting." An Pan, Ph.D., and team gathered data on 65,381 adult females aged 50 to 75 to see what the relationship between diabetes and depression might be. The women had to fill in an initial questionnaire with details about health practices and their medical history. Follow-up questionnaires were completed every two years for ten years until the end of 2006. The investigators classified participants with depression as those diagnosed with the disease by a doctor, and/or taking antidepressants. Those who said they had depression were given another questionnaire to fill in with questions about their depression, including symptoms, treatments and diagnostic tests. Depression to diabetes risk During the whole study period 2,844 females developed type 2 diabetes and 7,415 were identified with depression. Those with depression had a 17% higher risk of developing diabetes - even after the researchers ruled out certain risk factors, such as BMI (body mass index) and physical activity. The women on antidepressant medications had a 25% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those without depression. Diabetes to depression risk The investigators also foun Continue reading >>
The Emotional Side Of Diabetes
Dealing with diabetes puts a lot of attention on blood glucose monitoring and insulin and medications—and those are important, of course. But there is an emotional side to diabetes and effects on your mental health that should be addressed, too. Diabetes interrupts your workday when you have to check your blood glucose. Diabetes means you can't just grab food whenever you want—you have to plan for it. Diabetes prolongs getting ready in the morning as you wash and inspect your feet. Diabetes frustrates you when your taste buds cry out for a pastry instead of an apple. Diabetes makes you worry about your future. All of the time, effort, money, and stress interrupts your emotional stability and introduces emotional complications—and it's okay to be frustrated or overwhelmed or scared. Diabetes and "Being in Control" Let's face it: most of us like being in control, and we don't like feeling that anything is out of our control. When it comes to diabetes, you can feel simultaneously in control and out of control. Out of control: Because of how diabetes affects your body, it is possible to feel that nothing is in your control anymore. You can't eat what you want when you want. You have to take medications or give yourself injections. You can start, perhaps, to feel that your body isn't your own anymore. How to counteract that "out of control" feeling: Taking a step back and an objective look at the situation may help. You can say to yourself, "Yes, diabetes makes me do these things, but diabetes does not run my life." A mantra along those lines—repeated at moments when you're feeling particularly out of control—can help. Also, you can do a mental mind shift: all these steps you're taking to manage your diabetes are actually proactive, healthy steps. You are taking co Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes And Depression
"When I was diagnosed [with diabetes], the first thing I thought was, "Now I am completely different from anybody else,'" says Dana Lewis, a 20-year-old junior at the University of Alabama who has had type 1 diabetes since she was 14. Lewis, who is now a diabetes advocate and has testified before Congress about the need for more diabetes research, says that having type 1 diabetes can leave you feeling completely alone — and that there is no one who can help you or understand what you are going through. "Depression is common in anyone with a chronic disease, but it is particularly common in patients with type 1 diabetes," says Jennifer Goldman-Levine, PharmD, a diabetes educator and associate professor of pharmacy practice at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston. Depression and Type 1 Diabetes: Understanding the Link Studies have shown that if you have diabetes, you are at increased risk of becoming depressed — in fact, you might have double the risk, according to one study. The exact reasons aren’t fully understood, but the stresses associated with having type 1 diabetes are thought to play a part. Diabetes-associated stresses may include: Feelings of isolation, since only 5 to 10 percent of the diabetes community has type 1 diabetes (the majority have type 2) Feeling overwhelmed by the many things you have to do to manage your diabetes Worrying about diabetes-related complications such as nerve damage Loss of your sense of control when your blood sugar levels are out of control Tension between you and your doctor Depression and Type 1 Diabetes: Signs To Be Aware of "Depression is not a character flaw, nor is it your fault," says Goldman-Levine. She says that your health care provider should be screening you for symptoms of depression on Continue reading >>
Depression And Type 2 Diabetes—symptoms Or Disease?
According to studies, people with diabetes are three to four times as likely to have major depression than people in the general population. Why should this be? John McManamy, author of Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder,” says: “For many years it was thought that depression was a complication of diabetes, which may well be the case. More recent research, however, points to depression as a possible cause or trigger. “A Kaiser Permanente study of some 1,680 subjects found that those with diabetes were more likely to have been treated for depression within six months before their diabetes diagnosis. About 84% of people with diabetes reported a higher rate of earlier depressive episodes. “A 2004 Johns Hopkins study tracking 11,615 initially nondiabetic adults aged 48–67 over six years found that ‘depressive symptoms predicted incident Type 2 diabetes.’…Women, in particular are at greater risk, according to other studies.” And another study shows that this risk, among both men and women, persists even after controlling for weight, caloric intake, smoking, and economic factors. What Causes Depression? So does depression cause diabetes, or does diabetes cause depression? The reality is deeper than that. In my book, Diabetes: Sugar-coated Crisis, I argue that Type 2 diabetes and depression are best considered different symptoms of the same disease. This disease may go by the names insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, or powerlessness. In his book, Overcoming Depression, British psychologist Paul Gilbert writes that depression is a natural response to having a lack of power in your life. (Gilbert called another book Depression: The Evolution of Powerlessness.) Gilbert asks and answers the question, “Where does depression come from? What good Continue reading >>
The Diabetes And Depression Connection
Theres a link between diabetes and depressionbut its not what researchers initially thought Nina Flores started feeling down about 17 years ago, not long after the birth of her first child. She had always been happy and outgoing, but now it was as if a gray cloud had descended and refused to lift. Everyone expects you to smile, but you cant, she says. You just feel sad, for no reason. As the years went by, Floress depression took a toll on her daily life and her family. She found it hard to get out of bed, let alone eat well and exercise. After nearly a decade, her doctor prescribed antidepressant medication, and soon she began to feel like her old self again. Last year, however, Flores was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes . Learning to manage it has taken a tolland, she says, triggered another bout of depression. It feels like the medication doesnt work as well as it used to, she says. I get gray days more often than before [my diagnosis]. Floress experience is in keeping with new research into the links between diabetes and depression. Researchers have known for decades that clinical depression is a common problem for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, who suffer at similar rates. Much more than feeling sad once in a while, clinical depression is a long-lasting and more-crippling disorder that interferes with daily life and relationships. And its deeply interconnected with diabetesso deeply that researchers now think it is a two-way relationship: People with diabetes are more likely to develop depression, and people with depression are more likely to develop diabetes. The reason for the overlap between depression and diabetes once seemed obvious: Doctors figured people were simply depressed about their diabetes. The shock of a life-changing diagnosis, the bur Continue reading >>
What Is The Link Between Depression And Diabetes?
What Is the Link Between Depression and Diabetes? Many of the more than 15 million Americans who suffer from depression each year might be surprised to learn that they are now at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. This is not a new finding: it is the sort of fact that a physician assumes everyone knows. In fact, the association between the two diseases was first mentioned in 1684, when the English physician Thomas Willis noted that emotional factors (such as grief or sadness) could bring on diabetes. Of course most patients dont know this, and should they be among the 10% of U.S adults who develop diabetes ( 23% of adults over 60), it probably would never occur to them that depression might be behind developing this metabolic disease. Several long term studies have proven rather conclusively the link between depression and diabetes. In a compelling ten-year study, Dr. An Pan and a large research team gathered data on 65,381 adult women aged 50-75 to see what the relationship between diabetes and depression might be. They published their results in The Archives of Internal Medicine about five years ago. ("Bidirectional Association Between Depression and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Women" A Pan, M Lucas, Q Sun, et al Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(21):1884-1891.) The women who suffered from depression had a 17% higher risk of developing diabetes, and this was not related to their weight status or physical activity. If they were on antidepressant medications, they had a 25% higher risk of developing diabetes, compared to women who were not depressed. And the risk factor may be even greater than this. A few years earlier, an analysis of several studies indicated that adults with depression had a 37% higher risk of becoming diabetic (Depression as a Risk Factor for the Onset o Continue reading >>
Depression And Mental Health
Depression is a very real condition and is becoming increasingly common in the general population; approximately one in four people will experience depression some time in their adult life. For people who live with diabetes, this figure is even higher. Up to 50% of people with diabetes are thought to also have a mental illness such as depression or anxiety. People with depression and diabetes may find it hard to maintain daily diabetes care Diabetes Australia and SANE have developed a booklet ‘The SANE Guide to Good Mental Health for people affected by diabetes’ which explains the relationship between diabetes and mental health and what you can do to look after yourself Depression is not just low mood but a serious illness. People with depression find it hard to do normal activities and function from day to day. Depression has serious effects on physical as well as mental health. Research shows that having diabetes more than doubles the risk of developing depression. Living with a chronic condition like diabetes, coping with biological and hormonal factors plus needing to manage the condition on a daily basis may increase the risk of depression. Depression can increase the likelihood of developing diabetes complications. People with depression may find it harder to deal with everyday tasks. Over time, managing diabetes (regular blood glucose testing, taking medication, following a healthy eating plan and regular physical activity) can take its toll. This may increase a person’s risk of depression, which may in turn lead to their usual diabetes care being neglected. A person may be depressed if for more than two weeks they have: Felt sad, down or miserable most of the time OR Lost interest or pleasure in most of their usual activities and Experienced symptoms in at Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Depression
Managing type 1 or type 2 diabetes, chronic autoimmune diseases, can be highly challenging due to setbacks and many challenges along the way. The constant vigilance required to manage blood sugar, navigate health care services, medication side effects, and other related health conditions can lead to an increased risk of depression. Left untreated, depression can result in poor lifestyle choices that worsen physical health. If you have diabetes, or someone you love does, it’s important to be aware of the risk of developing depression. Researchers have found that the two conditions occur twice as frequently as you would predict based on chance, meaning that diabetes and depression affect each other in some ways. 1 The relationship between type 2 diabetes and depression is bidirectional, meaning that each can put a person at risk for the other.2 If a person has depression, they are at a higher risk of leading a sedentary lifestyle and eating foods that are sugary or fatty, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. If they already have type 2 diabetes, the burnout that can come with managing the disease, can lead to depression. Meanwhile, people with type 1 diabetes— which is not caused by diet or lifestyle factors, but rather a result of a pancreas that cannot manufacture insulin—can also be incredibly challenging to manage, which puts one at risk for developing depressive symptoms.3 Once depressive symptoms develop, it can become increasingly difficult to manage diabetes and can lead to physical complications and decreased life expectancy. If you’re not sure whether you might be suffering from depression, you can look for these signs:4 Lack of interest in activities Depressed mood or irritability Changes in sleep patterns Changes in appetite Feelings of guilt or despair Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Depression
Tweet According to NICE, people who are diagnosed with a chronic physical health problem such as diabetes are 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with depression than people without it. Depression can have a serious impact on a person's well being and their ability and motivation to self-manage their condition. Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder witnessed in the diabetes community. People with diabetes suffering from depression are at greater risk of suffering from an episode of diabetic burnout which collectively can have adverse effects on physical health and potentially instigate more long term complications both to do with diabetes and independent from the condition. What exactly is depression? Depression is the term given when an individual experiences a number of symptoms including: Persistent sadness or anxiety, a feeling of hollowness An overriding feeling of hopelessness and negativity Feeling helpless and powerless to change your situation Loss of interest in activities or pleasures Lower energy and increased fatigue Insomnia, oversleeping, awakening early in the morning Concentration problems, memory problems and indecisiveness Dwelling on death or suicide Restlessness Weight change and decreased or increased appetite A diagnosis of depression is made if many of these symptoms are present, continuously, for a minimum of two weeks. For people with diabetes, dealing with a lifelong condition and managing the risk of complications can seem like an overwhelming task, particularly for newly diagnosed patients. Many diabetics struggle to cope with the requirements, feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated. If diabetes is not faced with an attitude of perseverance and defiance, often depression will prevail. Depression is the perception of life situations Continue reading >>
Is There A Link Between Diabetes And Depression? Know The Facts
Some studies show that having diabetes doubles your risk of developing depression. If diabetes-related health problems emerge, your risk for depression can increase even further. It remains unclear exactly why this is. Some researchers suggest that this could be due to diabetes' metabolic effect on brain function as well as the toll day-to-day management can take. It’s also possible that people with depression are more likely to develop diabetes. Because of this, it’s recommended that people who have a history of depression be screened for diabetes. Keep reading for more on the connection between diabetes and depression, as well as information on diagnosis, treatment, and more. Although more research is needed to fully understand the link between diabetes and depression, it’s clear that there’s a connection. It’s thought that alterations in brain chemistry tied to diabetes may be related to the development of depression. For example, damage resulting from diabetic neuropathy or blocked blood vessels in the brain may contribute to the development of depression in people with diabetes. Conversely, changes in the brain due to depression may cause an increased risk for complications. Studies have shown that people with depression are at higher risk for diabetes complications, but is has been difficult to determine which causes which. It hasn’t been determined if depression increases the risk for complications, or vice versa. Symptoms of depression can make it more difficult to successfully manage diabetes and prevent diabetes-related complications. A 2011 study found that people who have type 2 diabetes and experience symptoms of depression often have higher blood sugar levels. Additionally, the results of a separate 2011 study suggest that people who have both Continue reading >>
Study: The Link Between Diabetes And Depression Goes Both Ways
Study: The Link Between Diabetes and Depression Goes Both Ways Two common conditions depression and diabetes frequently appear together, and a new study by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that each illness may be both a consequence and a contributor to the other. The 10-year study followed 65,381 women, ages 50 to 75, who were participating in the Nurses Health Study. Over the course of the research, depression and new cases of Type 2 diabetes were monitored: 2,844 women from the group were diagnosed with diabetes and 7,415 women developed depression unsurprising numbers based on the prevalence of both illnesses. Researchers also found a correlation between the conditions: women who suffered from depression were 17% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes during the study period than women who werent depressed; women with diabetes were 29% more likely to develop depression than women without diabetes, even after adjusting for other mood disorders and risk factors, such as weight and lack of frequent exercise. Additionally, the more severe the depression or diabetes was, the more likely that women would develop the other disease. Women whose diabetes was serious enough to require insulin, for instance, were 53% more likely to develop depression during the 10-year time frame, compared with women without diabetes. And women who took antidepressants to manage their depression were 25% more likely than undepressed women to develop diabetes. Lead researcher Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology, told WebMD that factors such as physical activity and body mass index (BMI) might partially explain the connection between the two illnesses, but that the more likely common denominator is stress. High levels of stress hormones, which are Continue reading >>
Diabetes & Depression: How To Deal With It
When you have diabetes, you are already dealing with a lot. Now add depression into the mix- you now have a double-whammy. This is what happens when you have diabetes- you are at increased risk for developing depression. So when you develop depression in addition to your diabetes, then this makes your diabetes worse. And the diabetes makes the depression worse. So what you get is a negative spiral, with out of control blood sugars, and ever increasing mood symptoms. Therefore, it is imperative to take care of your depression, so that your diabetes treatment can be optimized, and not sabotaged by untreated depression. Depression and Diabetes When you have diabetes, then depression is sure to follow. For people with diabetes, the risk for depression is two to three times higher.1 The reason depression and diabetes go together is that they have similar causes. Both diabetes and depression are caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, poor sleep, and psychosocial stressors. These factors cause diabetes and depression via the body’s stress response. So when you are dealing with high pressured stuff (like losing a job, financial difficulties, or relationship problems) or not taking care of your body (not eating properly, not sleeping, not exercising), then your body mounts a stress response. This stress response releases stress hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline) and activates the sympathetic nervous system, which decreases the ability of your own insulin to utilize blood sugars. In addition, the stress response dumps a lot of glucose into your bloodstream to fuel your stress response, as the body is preparing for fighting or fleeing (or freezing). With chronic activation of the stress response, high blood sugar and diabetes result. This same stress response with the re Continue reading >>
The Association Between Diabetes Mellitus And Depression
Go to: Depression occurrence is two to three times higher in people with diabetes mellitus, the majority of the cases remaining under-diagnosed. The purpose of this review was to show the links between depression and diabetes, point out the importance of identifying depression in diabetic patients and identify the possible ways to address both diseases. Possible common pathophysiological mechanisms as stress and inflammation were explained, while emphasis was made on screening for depression in diabetic patients. An important aspect for the diabetic specialist would be the understanding of the common origins of diabetes and depression and the awareness of this quite common comorbidity, in order to improve the outcomes of both diseases. Abbreviations: DALYS = disability adjusted life years, DSM-5 = American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DM1 = Type 1 diabetes mellitus, DM2 = Type 2 diabetes mellitus, HPA-axis = hypothalamus – pituitary – adrenal axis, SNS = sympathetic nervous system, BDI = Beck Depression Inventory, CES-D = Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, HADS = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, PHQ = Patient Health Questionnaire. Keywords: diabetes mellitus, depression, comorbidity, epidemiology Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Depression: Coping With The Two Conditions
What's the connection between diabetes and depression? How can I cope if I have both? Answers from M. Regina Castro, M.D. If you have diabetes — either type 1 or type 2 — you have an increased risk of developing depression. And if you're depressed, you may have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes. The good news is that diabetes and depression can be treated together. And effectively managing one can have a positive effect on the other. How they're related Though the relationship between diabetes and depression isn't fully understood: The rigors of managing diabetes can be stressful and lead to symptoms of depression. Diabetes can cause complications and health problems that may worsen symptoms of depression. Depression can lead to poor lifestyle decisions, such as unhealthy eating, less exercise, smoking and weight gain — all of which are risk factors for diabetes. Depression affects your ability to perform tasks, communicate and think clearly. This can interfere with your ability to successfully manage diabetes. Managing the two conditions together Diabetes self-management programs. Diabetes programs that focus on behavior have been successful in helping people improve their metabolic control, increase fitness levels, and manage weight loss and other cardiovascular disease risk factors. They can also help improve your sense of well-being and quality of life. Psychotherapy. Similarly, participants in psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, have reported improvements in depression, which has resulted in better diabetes management. Medications and lifestyle changes. Medications — for both diabetes and depression — and lifestyle changes, including different types of therapy coupled with regular exercise, can improve both conditions. C Continue reading >>
New Links Seen Between Depression And Diabetes
Archives of Internal Medicine. "People usually think of these as two isolated conditions, but there is growing evidence that they are linked behaviorally and biologically,” says study researcher Frank Hu, MD, PhD, MPH, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “This data provide strong evidence that we should not consider these two isolated conditions any longer.” About 23.5 million Americans have diabetes, and about 14.8 million Americans have major depressive disorder in a given year, according to statistics in the new report. Of the 65,381 women aged 50 to 75 in 1996 who were study participants, 2,844 women were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 7,415 women developed depression in the ensuing 10 years. Depression and Diabetes Risk Depression increased the risk for diabetes, and diabetes increased the risk for depression, the study shows. Specifically, women who were depressed were 17% more likely to develop diabetes even after the researchers adjusted for other risk factors such as weight and lack of regular exercise. Those women who were taking antidepressants were 25% more likely to develop diabetes than their counterparts who were not depressed, the study shows. Women with diabetes were 29% more likely to develop depression after taking into account other depression risk factors, and those women who took insulin for their diabetes were 53% more likely to develop depression during the 10-year study. While certain factors such as physical activity and body mass index may partially explain the link between depression and diabetes, they do not completely explain the connection, Hu tells WebMD. The common denominator may be stress, Hu says. People who are depressed have elevated levels of stress hormones such Continue reading >>
