JAMA: 2008-06-18, Vol. 299, No. 23, Author in the Room™ Audio Interview

Interview with Sherita Hill Golden, MD, MHS, author of Examining a Bidirectional Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Diabetes. Summary Points: 1. People with symptoms of depression are more likely to engage in diabetes-producing health behaviors, including eating more, exercising less, and smoking more. As a consequence, they were more obese. 2. People with elevated symptoms of depression had a 42 percent increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes over 3 years. This was partially explained by unhealthy behaviors. 3. People with treated Type 2 diabetes had a 52 percent increased risk of developing depressive symptoms over 3 years. This suggests that individuals with diabetes should be monitored for development of depression.