Stress does not directly cause diabetes, but it affects blood sugar levels by reducing the effect of insulin in controlling blood sugar.
Dr. Phan Thi Thuy Dung (Department of Endocrinology - Diabetes, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City) said that some evidence shows a link between stress and type 2 diabetes.
When stressed, the body reacts by releasing stress hormones. These hormones make the brain more alert, tense the muscles, and increase the heart rate. At first, these reactions are positive because they help the body defend itself and overcome immediate stress. If stress occurs in the short term, it is sometimes positive, helping you handle the problem carefully. But if this condition persists, it will be harmful to your health.
Increases blood sugar: Stress does not directly cause diabetes, but it does affect blood sugar levels. When stressed, the body releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones provide energy for the body to respond to stress. However, they also have an insulin antagonistic effect, reducing the effect of insulin in controlling blood sugar, leading to increased blood sugar levels.
Eating too much when stressed: When stressed, the body produces a lot of the hormone cortisol. This hormone has the function of metabolizing fat and carbohydrates, so stressed people tend to eat more than usual to "relieve" stress, leading to weight gain. Doctor Thuy Dung said that overweight and obese people have a risk of type 2 diabetes about 6 times higher than normal people and when they have diabetes, it is more difficult to control blood sugar.
Prolonged stress causes high blood sugar. Photo: Freepik
Patients are more susceptible to depression: The link between diabetes and depression may have a common cause: stress. Prolonged stress activates and disrupts the stress system; increases the risk of anxiety disorders and depression. Dr. Thuy Dung cited a number of studies showing that stress also occurs in 40% of patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. People with depression can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 60%. Conversely, people with diabetes are more susceptible to stress, leading to depression. The rate of depression is 3 times higher in patients with type 1 diabetes and 2 times higher in people with type 2 diabetes than in the general population. Children and adolescents with diabetes have a rate of depression 2-3 times higher than young people without the disease.
Endocrine dysfunction: Chronic stress causes immune dysfunction directly or through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or sympathetic nervous system, increasing the production of inflammatory cytokines. Inflammation interacts with normal pancreatic β-cell function, causing insulin resistance, promoting type 2 diabetes. Proinflammatory cytokines have been found to interact with multiple pathophysiological domains specific to depression, including neurotransmitter metabolism and neuroendocrine function. These correlations suggest that stress promotes depression and type 2 diabetes.
People with signs of stress such as: headaches, muscle pain, muscle tension, sleeping too much or insomnia, fatigue, lack of vitality, irritability, depression, sadness, anxiety, restlessness... should visit a psychologist for advice and appropriate treatment.
Dinh Tien
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