Depression, glycemic control and type 2 diabetes

Background: Comorbid depression in diabetes has been suggested as one of the possible causes of an inadequate glycemic control. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between major depression and the glycemic control of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Seventy T2DM patients were evaluated. They underwent a psychiatric examination using the following instruments: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and Beck Depression Inventory. The diabetes status was assessed in the short-term (glycemia, glycated hemoglobin) clinical control. Results: The presence of current depression was observed in 18.6% (13/70). In addition, type 2 diabetes patients who displayed depression evidenced higher levels of glycated hemoglobin (8.6 +/- 2.0 vs. 7.5 +/- 1.8; p = 0.05) when compared to those who did not exhibit a mood disorder. Conclusions: In our sample, the presence of depression seems to impact on the short-term control of T2DM. The authors discuss the clinical utility of these findings in the usual treatment of diabetes.