RESEARCH - Depression increases mortality risk in diabetics

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Depression increases mortality risk in diabetics

Last Updated: 2005-04-15 15:31:12 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a new study confirm that

individuals with diabetes are prone to depression and show that over a

10-year period depressive symptoms significantly increase the risk of death

among persons with diabetes but not among persons without diabetes.

" Our analysis indicates that the relationship between depression and

mortality is different in people with and without diabetes mellitus, " Dr.

Xuanping Zhang from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in

Atlanta, told Reuters Health.

" Depression should be considered a target for diabetes management

interventions, " the researcher added.

Dr. Zhang and colleagues examined the relation between depressive symptoms

and mortality among 558 diabetic and 7063 nondiabetic participants in the

NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (1982-1992). A total of 276 diabetics

and 1499 nondiabetics died during the study.

The prevalence of Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D)

scores greater than or equal to 16, an indicator of depression, was higher

in the diabetic than in the nondiabetic cohort (26.3% vs 15.8%).

In analyses controlling for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-status

variables, diabetics with CES-D scores of 16 or higher had a 54% greater

mortality than those with CES-D scores under 16, the team reports in the

April 1st issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

There was no significant association between depression and mortality in the

nondiabetic population.

This study, Dr. Zhang said, " helps to clarify the contradictory findings on

the association between depression and mortality among general populations

by demonstrating the importance of observing subgroups, rather than

aggregated populations, when examining the effect of depression on

mortality. "

Am J Epidemiol 2005;161:652-660.

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Mayo Clinic in Rochester

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s Hopkins Medicine

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