Diabetes Begets Depression

Robert W. Griffith, MD

Depression is more frequent in elderly diabetics, according to a new study. Over 2,500 community-dwelling people in their 70s without depression were followed for almost 6 years. The findings are reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The presence of diabetes was assessed at baseline, and new cases of depression were diagnosed during the study or at the annual follow-up examinations. By the end of the study period, 23.5% of the participants with diabetes at baseline had developed depression, compared with only 19% in those without diabetes. In other words, diabetes was associated with a 30% increase in the likelihood of developing depression.

The risk of depression was lessened (to about a 20% increase) in those diabetics if statistical adjustments were made to allow for the diseases that are complications of diabetes. All this is not too surprising. From personal experience, I know that being a diabetic can be frustrating (when you want to eat forbidden things) and it has a minor nuisance value (the need to remember blood glucose tests and medications). So even if you don't have any complications, the risk of depression is likely to be a little higher than in the non-diabetic, all other things being equal. And if you have sleep apnea (often linked to diabetes), the chances are higher. Doctors should be on the lookout for early warning symptoms in their elderly diabetic patients.

Source
HealthandAge Blog

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