Originally published July 24 2005
Stress management can help control type 2 diabetes, study shows
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Stress management has a fortunate side effect, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers: It can help lower average blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetics, eMaxHealth.com reports.
Patients with type 2 diabetes who incorporate stress management techniques into their routine care can significantly reduce their average blood glucose levels, according to a new study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
This is the first large study to show that a simple, cost-effective treatment can have a meaningful therapeutic effect on the control of blood sugar, said the researchers.
Stress can increase glucose levels in people with diabetes, making them more susceptible to long-term physical complications such as eye, kidney or nerve disorders.
Patients in the stress management group showed, on average, a 0.5 percent reduction on the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test -- a standard laboratory test used to determine average blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.
According to Surwit, that amount of glucose level reduction is what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers sufficient when reviewing drugs seeking approval for diabetes control.
A total of 108 patients with type 2, also known as adult-onset, diabetes participated in five 30-minute educational sessions about diabetes.
The basic program focused on general facts (such as signs or symptoms of the disease), complications (such as foot, eye and dental issues), healthy eating and treatment information.
The training included progressive muscle relaxation, mental imagery, breathing techniques and instructions on how to modify one's physiologic, cognitive and behavioral responses to stress.
At the beginning of the study, and at subsequent times throughout the year-long tracking period, patients were tested using the HbA1c test to evaluate their blood sugar control and with various questionnaires to assess their trait anxiety.
All participants were at least 30 years old and currently managing their diabetes with diet, exercise and/or non-insulin medications.
"Patients with type 2 diabetes might be at increased health risk from the effects of stress," Surwit said.
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