PTSD May Raise Women's Risk for Diabetes
PTSD May Raise Women's Risk for Diabetes
Obesity, antidepressants could play a role in the connection, study suggests
The study doesn't prove that PTSD directly causes diabetes, although Koenen said the study's design allows the researchers to "know that PTSD came before type 2 diabetes."
Since PTSD disrupts various systems in the body, such as those that manage stress hormones, "it may be that something about PTSD changes women's biology and increases risk" of diabetes, she said.
Use of antidepressants and higher body weight accounted for almost half the increased risk, Koenen said. "The antidepressant finding was surprising because as far as we know, no one has shown it before," she said. "Much more research needs to be done to determine what the finding means."
Obesity explains some, but not all, of the relationship, she said.
Neumeister said there could be a connection from PTSD to overeating to diabetes, but he believes the situation is more complex than it sounds.
"Many PTSD patients are on the overweight end of the spectrum, and that's true for both men and women," he said. "We don't understand this link." Some factor, perhaps genetic, could make people more prone to both conditions, he said.
What about men?
"Our findings are consistent with findings for male veterans," Koenen said. "Studies need to be done in men in the general population, but based on these data we would expect findings to be similar."
For now, Neumeister said doctors should pay more attention to the possible causes of diabetes. "Physicians in general don't ask enough questions, but when they do, they forget to ask questions about psychological factors that potentially contribute to medical problems."
The study appears in the Jan. 7 issue of JAMA Psychiatry.
PTSD May Raise Women's Risk for Diabetes
Obesity, antidepressants could play a role in the connection, study suggests
The study doesn't prove that PTSD directly causes diabetes, although Koenen said the study's design allows the researchers to "know that PTSD came before type 2 diabetes."
Since PTSD disrupts various systems in the body, such as those that manage stress hormones, "it may be that something about PTSD changes women's biology and increases risk" of diabetes, she said.
Use of antidepressants and higher body weight accounted for almost half the increased risk, Koenen said. "The antidepressant finding was surprising because as far as we know, no one has shown it before," she said. "Much more research needs to be done to determine what the finding means."
Obesity explains some, but not all, of the relationship, she said.
Neumeister said there could be a connection from PTSD to overeating to diabetes, but he believes the situation is more complex than it sounds.
"Many PTSD patients are on the overweight end of the spectrum, and that's true for both men and women," he said. "We don't understand this link." Some factor, perhaps genetic, could make people more prone to both conditions, he said.
What about men?
"Our findings are consistent with findings for male veterans," Koenen said. "Studies need to be done in men in the general population, but based on these data we would expect findings to be similar."
For now, Neumeister said doctors should pay more attention to the possible causes of diabetes. "Physicians in general don't ask enough questions, but when they do, they forget to ask questions about psychological factors that potentially contribute to medical problems."
The study appears in the Jan. 7 issue of JAMA Psychiatry.
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