Diabetes and depression are devastating on their own, but when they interact the symptoms can worsen. The positive side of this interaction is that treatment of one problem can alleviate the other. Research suggests that depression treatment can greatly improve the ability of patients to manage their diabetes.

Working with type 2 diabetes patients from Missouri, a team of researchers led by Dr. Patrick Lustman from Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine found that treatment with the antidepressant Wellbutrin resulted in better glycemic control in subjects with major depression. The study, which appears in the March 2007 issue of the journal Diabetes Care, shows that depression medication by itself resulted in better maintenance of blood sugar in the short-term.

The improvement seen with antidepressants occurred irrespective of weight loss. This suggests that depression treatment offers alternative lines of attack against diabetes, such as through lowering insulin sensitivity or inflammation.

Depression, a chronic condition like diabetes, can severely hamper effective diabetes care in many ways. In addition to the physical health problems that accompany depression, there may also be problems with motivation and medication compliance. Therefore, it is recommended that you consult your Treatment Online clinician about both disorders in order to reach an overarching treatment plan.