The diabetes-depression, depression-diabetes connection
"Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel. Never ending or beginning on an ever-spinning reel," are lyrics from "The Windmills of Your Mind." But they could describe the relationship of diabetes and depression.
It turns out that people living with diabetes are 48% more likely to develop depression than folks without diabetes, and the higher the BMI of a person with diabetes, the greater their likelihood of developing multiple depressive symptoms. Conversely, people with depression are 15% more likely to develop diabetes than folks without symptoms of depression. Those are the conclusions of an 11-year study of folks age 50 and older presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
Diabetes may cause depression because of what is called "Diabetes Distress," that's characterized by tension and sadness associated with the daily demands of diabetes management. And there's some (not yet conclusive) evidence that diabetes causes hormonal and metabolic changes that can fuel depressive symptoms.
As for depression's link to diabetes -- that may come from increasingly sedentary behavior and a "comfort" diet that fuels Type 2 diabetes. Also, depression can activate the body's stress response, pumping up the stress hormone cortisol, which contributes to insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose.
In either case, it's essential to get effective treatment for both depression and diabetes. Ask your doctor for advice and a referral and check out my video on YouTube, "Eat to Live to 100 and Manage Stress -- Dr. Michael Roizen."
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@4YOUngevity.com.
(c)2023 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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