Diabetes and depression: a fatal mix

Diabetes and depression: a fatal mix Oct 26, 2005, 22:10 GMT Printer Friendly Pageprinter friendly Email this article to a friendemail this article Access M&C's RSS Feeds

SEATTLE, WA, United States (UPI) -- A just-released three-year study finds type 2 diabetes and depression can be a fatal mix.

Researchers found patients whose type 2 diabetes was accompanied by minor or major depression had higher mortality rates, compared with patients with type 2 diabetes alone.

Researchers at the University of Washington and at Group Health Cooperative, a large, Seattle-based health plan, surveyed and then followed 4,154 patients with type 2 diabetes. The patients completed written questionnaires and then automated diagnostic, laboratory, and pharmacy data were collected from the HMO.

The researchers also reviewed Washington state mortality data to analyze diabetes complications and deaths. They found depression is common among people who have type 2 diabetes and is strongly linked with increased mortality.

But the researchers said more work is needed to untangle the cause-and-effect relationships among depression, behavior, diabetes complications and mortality.

The results appear in the November edition of Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International

Most Popular Articles on Health Today 1. Focusing: Brain, not age, important 2. Schizophrenia: Delusion without illusion 3. Childhood asthma: psychological problems 4. Thai hospital quarantines three new suspected cases of bird flu 5. Diabetes and depression: a fatal mix 6. Australian study explains autism problems 7. Asia's battle against bird flu hits backyard resistance 8. Task force set up to check bird flu spread in Ethiopia 9. Thai tourists get avian flu at bird park 10. Ghana prepares to avoid bird flu