Antidepressants reduce deaths by up to a third in people diagnosed with diabetes and depression, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Depression occurs twice as frequently in people with diabetes as in those without, and half to three-quarters of those with diabetes and depression go undiagnosed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Researchers looked at data for more than 53,000 people with diabetes in the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan, following the subjects from 2000 to 2013. They discovered that antidepressant use was linked with a 35% reduced risk of death over the study period.
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“The incidence of major depressive disorder amongst individuals with diabetes is significantly greater than the general population,” noted study author Vincent Chin-Hung Chen, MD, PhD. “Diabetes and depression each independently contribute to increasing total mortality… This data provides further rationale for the screening and treating of depression in persons who have diabetes.”
Want to learn more about diabetes and depression? Read “Dealing With Diabetes and Depression,” by Certified Diabetes Educator Amy Campbell.
Diane Fennell
Senior Digital Editor for DiabetesSelfManagement.com, Fennell has 16 years’ experience specializing in diabetes and related health conditions. Based in New York City, she has a degree from Columbia University.