Higher metabolic variability associated with depressive disorder in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Higher metabolic parameters (METv) was an independent risk factor for depressive disorder in type 2 diabetes, says an article published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

While variations in metabolic parameters have been associated with poor health outcomes in type 2 diabetes, their relationship with depression has yet to be investigated. As a result, Ji Hyun An and colleagues undertook this study to evaluate the relationship between METv and depressive illness in type 2 diabetes patients.

The study included 1,119,631 type 2 diabetes individuals who underwent three or more serial health evaluations between 2005 and 2012. Body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (BP), fasting glucose (FG), and total cholesterol (TC) were all tested at each visit and categorized into quartiles, with Q4 being the highest and Q1 being the lowest. The risk of depressive disorder was assessed using Cox proportional hazard regression models that adjusted for gender, income status, lifestyle behaviors, medical comorbidities, DM severity, and baseline values of BMI, BP, FG, and TC.

The key findings of this study were:

239,477 (21.4%) type 2 DM patients developed depressive illness over a mean follow-up time of 6.00 ± 2.42 years.

As the number of METv grew, so did the likelihood of developing depressive disorder (HR 1.18; 95% CI 1.13, 1.23 for the group with the greatest METv in all parameters against those with the lowest METv in all parameters).

The risk for developing major depressive disorder was 43% greater among men (HR 1.43; 95% CI 1.34, 1.51) and 31% higher in those under 65 (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.23, 1.39) in the group with the greatest amount of METv in comparison to the group with the lowest number of METv.

The fluctuation of metabolic indicators was an independent risk factor for depressive disorder in type 2 diabetes. This risk is significantly higher in men and those under the age of 65. A thorough understanding of the underlying processes responsible for metabolic variability is critical for the successful therapy of depression in type 2 diabetes patients.

Reference:

An, J. H., Han, K., & Jeon, H. J. (2023). Higher metabolic variability increases the risk of depressive disorder in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a longitudinal nationwide cohort study. In Frontiers in Psychiatry (Vol. 14). Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1217104