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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 25 August 2017

12% of people with diabetes have major depression, and about 10 to 20% have minor depression.

In a new analysis, German researchers have found that reducing depressive symptoms does indeed help control blood glucose better and even increasing the probability of bringing HbA1C under to under 7.5.

According to study investigator Andreas Schmitt, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Research Institute of the Diabetes Academy Mergentheim in Germany, it could be that the less depressed people are, the better care they take of themselves. And the more depressed, the worse care. In an interview with EndocrineWeb, he says: "Depression is associated with reduced motivation, reduced activity, suboptimal lifestyle factors such as an unhealthy diet and smoking. Adherence to diabetes treatment regimen may be reduced."

On the other hand it is also possible that poor diabetes control may trigger depression or worsen it. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is linked with both stress and depression, and that could explain the poorer control. "There is evidence supporting that inflammation can lead to hyperglycemia and anti-inflammatory medication might improve glycemic control," he adds.  

The researchers followed 181 men and women, on average age 45, with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. They were on a variety of diabetes medicines, but most were on insulin therapies, as type 1 affected 63% of the people in the study.

Read here for more details of the study.

Related: Could anti-inflammatory drugs fight depression ?

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