New research suggests that members of the military suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a higher likelihood of also developing Type 2 diabetes, according to an article from Reuters Health.
PTSD is a condition in which people suffer from anxiety following an event in which they were seriously injured or faced the threat of serious injury. People that experience combat, such as soldiers, often suffer from PTSD. The disorder is characterized by frightening thoughts, trouble sleeping and feeling emotionally numb. At least one-third of U.S. veterans serving in Iraq or Afghanistan are believed to be suffering from PTSD or another mental health ailment.
Researchers say that stress associated with PTSD may contribute to inflammation in the body that leads to Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. People with Type 2 diabetes do not properly use insulin, the blood-sugar regulating hormone.
Researchers looked at 44,754 members of the military that did not have diabetes at the start of the Department of Defense’s Millennium Cohort Study. Three years later, 376 had developed diabetes. When researchers stripped away variables such as age, gender, weight and race, PTSD was the only symptom that remained that significantly increased the risk of diabetes. Those with PTSD were twice as likely to also develop diabetes.
Researchers say this study doesn’t address many possible contributing factors, such as whether drugs prescribed to treat PTSD may contribute to the development of diabetes.
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