Does military deployment affect risk for diabetes later in life? It may, if the military experience was associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That was the finding in a study published in this month's Diabetes Care:Risk of Diabetes in U.S. Military Service Members in Relation to Combat Deployment and Mental Health, Diabetes Care, August 2010
Researchers analyzed data from 44,754 participants of the ongoing Millennium Cohort Study, the largest prospective health project in US military history, launched in 2001. Follow-up was 3 years from baseline, a relatively short time.
Findings:
"In summary, we found that symptoms of PTSD but not depression were independently associated with an increased risk of diabetes in military service members. To our knowledge this is the first report of a prospective association between PTSD and diabetes, and confirmation by additional research is needed."The authors speculated a possible mechanism between PTSD and diabetes "might involve the stress response associated with these conditions contributing to inflammation and insulin resistance."
