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Women with PTSD twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes

Women with posttraumatic stress disorder had a nearly two-fold increased incidence for type 2 diabetes compared with women with no trauma exposure, according to study findings published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Andrea L. Roberts, PhD, research associate in the department of social and behavioral sciences at Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues used medical records from the 22-year longitudinal Nurses’ Health Study II.

In 2008, 60,804 women were mailed a questionnaire regarding trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms, and 54,282 (89%) returned the questionnaire. Of those, 51% said they had a trauma and no history of PTSD symptoms.

After 22 years of follow-up, 3,091 of 49,739 women developed type 2 diabetes. Those with symptoms of PTSD demonstrated higher incidence in a dose-response fashion with the incidence of type 2 diabetes:

• One to three symptoms: HR=1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.6;
• Four or five symptoms: HR=1.5; 95% CI, 1.3-1.7; and
• Six or seven symptoms: HR=1.8; 95% CI, 1.5-2.1.

They also found that antidepressant use and greater BMI was associated with PTSD for nearly half of those with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

“Women with PTSD and the health professionals who care for them should be aware that these women are at greater risk for diabetes,” Roberts said in a press release. “As fewer than half of Americans with PTSD receive treatment, our study adds urgency to the effort to improve access to mental health care to address factors that contribute to diabetes and other chronic diseases.”

Disclosure: Roberts reports funding and support from NIH grants. See the study for a full list of the researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.