Adult Diabetics: Keep That Chin Up!

Adult-onset diabetes is rampant in American society, usually striking after age 35. It's mostly controllable with medication but a study from the Medical College of Ohio shows that psychological factors can have a significant effect on the ability of diabetics to control their blood sugar.

Researcher Dr. Angele McGrady says a study shows diabetic patients with high levels of depression, anxiety and daily stress were less successful in reducing their blood sugar. McGrady says such patients often find the demands of a diabetic treatment plan are too hard to follow, given their other problems and pressures.

The study, found in the journal Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback, follows patients who were taught relaxation therapy techniques and a control group that was not. It says researchers were surprised to find that a month after the treatment, there was no difference in blood sugar levels between the groups.

Looking further, McGrady says they did see that patients who had relaxation therapy but did not suffer from depression or anxiety, had significantly lower blood sugar levels than those who did have psychological problems.