Anti-depressants may increase type 2 diabetes risk: researchers

PanARMENIAN.Net - People prescribed anti-depressants should be aware they could be at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, say UK researchers, according to BBC News.

The University of Southampton team looked at available medical studies and found evidence the two were linked. But there was no proof that one necessarily caused the other.

It may be that people taking anti-depressants put on weight which, in turn, increases their diabetes risk, the team told Diabetes Care journal. Or the drugs themselves may interfere with blood sugar control.

Their analysis of 22 studies involving thousands of patients on anti-depressants could not single out any class of drug or type of person as high risk.

Prof Richard Holt and colleagues say more research is needed to investigate what factors lie behind the findings. And they say doctors should keep a closer check for early warning signs of diabetes in patients who have been prescribed these drugs.

With 46 million anti-depressant prescriptions a year in the UK, this potential increased risk is worrying, they say.

Prof Holt said: "Some of this may be coincidence but there's a signal that people who are being treated with anti-depressants then have an increased risk of going on to develop diabetes. We need to think about screening and look at means to reduce that risk."

Diabetes is easy to diagnose with a blood test, and Prof Holt says this ought to be part of a doctor's consultation. "Diabetes is potentially preventable by changing your diet and being more physically active. Physical activity is also good for your mental health so there's a double reason to be thinking about lifestyle changes."

Dr Matthew Hobbs of Diabetes UK, said: "These findings fall short of being strong evidence that taking anti-depressants directly increases risk of type 2 diabetes. In this review, even the studies that did suggest a link showed only a small effect and just because two things tend to occur together, it doesn't necessarily mean that one is causing the other.

"But what is clear is that some anti-depressants lead to weight gain and that putting on weight increases risk of type 2 diabetes. Anyone who is currently taking, or considering taking, anti-depressants and is concerned about this should discuss their concerns with their GP."

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It occurs mainly in people aged over 40. The first-line treatment is diet, weight control and physical activity. If the blood sugar (glucose) level remains high despite these measures then tablets to reduce the blood glucose level are usually advised. Insulin injections are needed in some cases. Other treatments include reducing blood pressure if it is high, lowering high cholesterol levels and also other measures to reduce the risk of complications.