People being treated for type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for depression and those with depression have a fairly increased risk of having diabetes. To explore the relationship between diabetes and depression, American researchers analysed data on 6814 subjects who underwent three examinations between 2000 and 2005. Among 4847 participants without depression at the start of the study, rates of occurrence of depression symptoms during follow-up were similar for people without diabetes and those with untreated type 2 diabetes, but about twice as high in people being treated for type 2 diabetes. It was also found that participants who had symptoms of depression were about 30 percent more likely to develop diabetes during the study than those without depression. The link between depression and diabetes onset can be attributed to lifestyle factors, such as caloric intake and physical activity. The researchers recommended clinicians to be aware of increased risk of elevated depressive symptoms in individuals with treated type 2 diabetes and consider routine screening for depressive symptoms among these patients. Future studies are required to determine whether interventions aimed at modifying behavioural factors associated with depression would complement current type 2 diabetes prevention strategies.
Journal of the American Medical Association
June 2008