
Anxiety and Depression May Increase Mortality Risk in Type 2 Diabetes
Symptoms of anxiety found to be independent of symptoms of depression
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) which affects >9% of the population, and depression, which affects >5% of the population, are the leading global causes of morbidity and mortality. Patients with T2D experience depression five-times higher than the general population. Due to the symptomatic similarities between anxiety and depression, they are often documented together. Mortality studies have shown a consistent association between depression and excess mortality, but the evidence relating anxiety and mortality risk remains inconsistent. Recent studies reflect a higher relative risk of mortality associated with depression than anxiety in the general population.
Studies have demonstrated that the mortality risk associated with depression varies according to the severity of disorder and sex. On one hand, major depression increases mortality risk in both men and women, but minor depression increases risk only in men. On the other hand, a study showed excess mortality with anxiety associated in men than women. However, studies rarely consider the presence of anxiety or depression as comorbid, thus the ability to attribute risk to either disorder is obscured. Due to greater risk of noncompliance, depression is a concern in T2D patients who self-manage their treatment. The purpose of the study was to examine the mortality risk associated with T2D and comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety between men and women in a large general population to determine whether they are differentially affected. The primary outcome of in
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