Jun 17, 2008 8:19 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Diabetes & Depression Association?
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Both diabetes and depression are common, and now a new study shows they may actually be linked. It seems developing one disease may make you more likely to develop the other. CBS 2's Dr. Holly Phillips explains.
Rosalyn Terborg-Penn has been battling diabetes for years. Monitoring her blood sugar levels and administering insulin are full-time jobs.
"Sometimes I'm overwhelmed to the point where I just have to go to bed and take a break," said patient Terborg-Penn.
Dr. Sherita Golden of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, lead a team of researchers who analyzed whether there is an association between diabetes and symptoms of depression. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"Even with sort of symptoms of depression below a clinical threshold, there's still a risk of developing type 2 diabetes," said Dr. Golden.
The study followed 5,000 men and women, ages 45 to 84, over a three year period.
Symptoms of depression included feelings of hopelessness, poor sleep and poor appetite. People who experienced those things were more likely to develop diabetes.
"They had a forty-two percent increased risk of developing type-two diabetes over follow up of three years," Dr. Golden added.
It seems lifestyle factors associated with depression - poor eating habits and lack of exercise - may contribute to the increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
"I also try to say ok, I know this is my job taking care of myself. But it took me a while to get to that point," said Terborg-Penn.
Patients treated for type 2 diabetes had a 52 percent increased risk of developing depression. It works the other way as well. People who already had type 2 diabetes at the beginning of the study had a 52 percent higher risk of developing symptoms of depression.
"This may be related to the increased burden of monitoring in diabetes," said Dr. Golden.
It is still unknown why the two conditions are associated. But now that the risks are known, screening for diabetes and depression may one day go hand in hand.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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