Scientists discover unexpected link between depression and diabetes

An international team of researchers led by Professor Ancha Baranova from George Mason University (USA) has made a breakthrough in understanding the connection between mental and metabolic diseases. During a large-scale analysis of genetic data, scientists discovered more than 270 common genetic loci, with 29 of them being identified for the first time.

The study showed striking results: people with a genetic predisposition to depression have a 24% increased risk of developing type II diabetes. Even more alarming statistics are observed in patients with a predisposition to affective disorders - the risk increases by 48%. Notably, no reverse dependency was found.

Inflammation turned out to be the central mechanism of this relationship. Increased immune system activity, characteristic of depressive states, triggers chronic inflammation, which in turn leads to metabolic disorders.

According to the research team's estimates, approximately 60% of genetic factors associated with diabetes development are identical to those responsible for predisposition to depression.