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Clinical Summary

Meta-analysis: anxiety tied to increased risk for incident diabetes

Takeaway

  • A meta-analysis suggests an association between baseline anxiety and the likelihood of incident diabetes.
  • The association seems to persist even after adjusting for confounders (sociodemographic, cardiometabolic, and adiposity-related).

Why this matters

  • Anxiety may have a connection with certain biological changes known to increase the risk for diabetes such as inflammation and cardiometabolic abnormalities.

Study design

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies.
  • Among the included studies, 14 (n=1,760,800) examined anxiety as a risk factor for incident diabetes, and 2 (n= 88,109) examined the association vice-versa.
  • Funding: None.

Key results

  • In the 14 studies examining the direction of association from anxiety to diabetes, 6.6% of the total population developed incident diabetes.
  • The least-adjusted estimate showed a significant association between baseline anxiety and incident diabetes (15 studies; pooled OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.23-1.75).
  • Similar results were noted in the most adjusted analysis:
    • 5 studies; OR, 1.64 (95% CI, 1.13-2.39);
    • 2 studies; Risk ratio, 1.34 (95% CI, 1.27-1.41).
  • The 2 studies examining diabetes as a risk factor for anxiety showed no evidence of association.

Limitations

  • Heterogeneity between studies and publication bias.

References


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