Type 2 diabetes, sleep disorders linked to increased risk for depression

Adults with type 2 diabetes or a sleep disorder have an increased risk for depression compared with those with neither condition, according to data published in the Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications.

Sleep disorders did not explain the association between type 2 diabetes and depression but were an independent risk factor for depression. Sleep and diabetes had antagonistic effect on depression risks, meaning that the joint effect of sleep disorder and diabetes was lower than what would be expected given the separate risk of diabetes and sleep disorder.

Patients with diabetes more often had a prior sleep disorder than individuals without diabetes. Of the full study cohort, 2.6% were diagnosed with depression during follow-up, 32.1% redeemed at least one antidepressant medication, 15.3% redeemed at least two sleep medication prescriptions and 1% had a sleep disorder diagnosis. When categorized by both diabetes and sleep disorders, 43.2% had neither condition, 41.6% had diabetes but no sleep disorder, 7% had only a sleep disorder and 8.3% had diabetes and a sleep disorder.

When participants were divided into groups younger and older than 60 years, those younger than 60 years with diabetes and a sleep disorder had a slightly higher risk for depression than those aged 60 years and older. However, sleep disorders did not explain the association with depression in either age group.

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