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Expert calls for more research into link between diabetes and depression

Category: Diabetes

When a person with diabetes receives a blood test indicating they have poor control of their glucose levels, they are at a higher risk of experiencing complications, including depression. One researcher now says the medical community needs to develop a better understanding of blood sugar's effects on mood.

Diabetics are known to have significantly higher rates of depression than the general public. However, it is not entirely clear if people with depression have more metabolic risk factors or if some characteristic of the disorder actually causes depression.

Regardless of which comes first, diabetics who also suffer depression tend to be less active in managing their condition, making this an important area of research.

Writing in the journal Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics, Tim Wysocki of Nemours Children's Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, said that solving this mystery will play a key role in developing treatment strategies for addressing depression in diabetics.

He pointed out that some evidence does seem to suggest that poorly regulated blood sugar produces changes in mood that predispose a person to depression. However, more research is needed to fully understand this association.