Comorbid Depression and Diabetes May Hike Mortality Risk
Depression could be associated with a higher risk of diabetes mellitus (DM), and comorbidity of both could worsen long-term survival, according to results from a recent study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
“Essential endocrine care and regular monitoring of blood glucose in depressed patients are warranted and maintaining a regular BMI may be helpful in reducing the susceptibility to DM,” authors noted.
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Researchers included 37,040 people from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and measured depressive symptoms with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Participants were broken up by their scores into 1 of 4 groups:
1. No (0–4),
2. Mild (5–9),
3. Moderate (10–14),
4. Severe (15–27).
DM was determined based on self-reported medical history, test results, and medication use. Logistic and Cox regression models were used for analysis based on weighted data from complex sampling.
DM prevalence was higher in depressed participants than in non-depressed participants (21.26% vs. 13.75%). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of comorbid DM increased with depression severity, from 1.00 (reference) for no depression, to 1.22 for mild, 1.62 for moderate, and 1.52 for severe depression. Comorbidity of both disease states was significantly associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality with a hazard ratio of 2.09.