Hyperglycaemia, Type 2 Diabetes and Depressive Symptoms: The British Whitehall II Study

  1. Mika Kivimaki, PhD (m.kivimaki{at}ucl.ac.uk)a,b,
  2. Adam G. Tabak, MD, PhDa,c,
  3. G. David Batty, PhDd,e,f,
  4. Archana Singh-Manoux, PhDa,g,
  5. Markus Jokela, PhDa,
  6. Tasnime N. Akbaraly, PhDa,h,
  7. Daniel R. Witte, MD, PhDi,
  8. Eric J. Brunner, PhDa,
  9. Michael G. Marmot, PhDa and
  10. Debbie A. Lawlor, MD, PhDj
  1. a Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK
  2. b Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
  3. c Semmelweis University Faculty of Medicine, 1st Department of Medicine, Hungary
  4. d MRC Social & Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
  5. e Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
  6. f Renal and Metabolic Division, The George Institute for International Health, Sydney, Australia
  7. g INSERM U687-IFR69, AP-HP, Paris, France
  8. h INSERM U 888, Montpellier F-34093, France
  9. i Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark
  10. j MRC Centre for Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology, University of Bristol, UK

    Abstract

    Objective— The recent suggestion that impaired fasting glucose may protect against depression, whereas a diagnosis of diabetes might then result in depression, warrants further examination.

    Research design and methods— Cross-sectional analysis of 4228 adults (mean age 60.7 years, 73.0% male) who underwent oral glucose tolerance testing and completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale.

    Results— After adjustment for demographic factors, health behaviours and clinical measurements (BMI, waist circumference, lipid profile and blood pressure), there was a ‘U’-shaped association between fasting glucose and depression (Pcurve=0.001), with elevated CES-D at low and very high glucose levels. This finding was replicable with 2-hour postload glucose (p=0.11) and HbA1c (p=0.007).

    Conclusion— The ‘U’-shaped association between blood glucose and CES-D, with the lowest depression risk seen amongst those in the normoglycaemic range of HbA1c did not support the hypothesized protective effect of hyperglycaemia.

    Footnotes

      • Received April 15, 2009.
      • Accepted July 6, 2009.

    This Article

    1. Published online before print July 10, 2009, doi: 10.2337/dc09-0716
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