Diabetics are twice as likely as non-diabetics to suffer from depressions, say
psychiatrists from Washington University and the US Department of Veterans Affairs in St. Louis,
who analyzed 25 years of research.
Doctors have long assumed that diabetes—which strikes tens of millions of people—
can bring on depression because of the difficulties it causes in the lives of sufferers, says the
study’s senior author, Patrick Lustman of Washington University. But now, the idea that the
reverse could be true—that is, that depression may lead to diabetes—is being seriously
considered, says Lustman. One clue may lie in the inactivity and overeating that accompany
depression. Each contributes to diabetes. Diabetics who are depressed should seek treatment for
both maladies, the researcher says.