title: The relationship between stress and the development of diabetic complications.
abstract: Using the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule of Brown and Harris, the relationship between preceding stress and the onset of diabetic complications and premature death was investigated prospectively in a random sample of 130 patients with diabetes, aged 35-59 years. The presence of stress, assessed as severe life-events and severe long-term difficulties, was not significantly associated with premature death or the onset of macrovascular disease over the relatively short period of follow-up (4 years). Those who commenced anti-hypertensive therapy during the follow-up period were significantly more likely to have experienced five or more severe life-events during the previous 5 years (40 vs 6%, p less than 0.01), and also to have experienced one or more severe long-term difficulties during the same time period (60 vs 28%, p less than 0.05). A multiple Cox regression analysis showed that the effects of stress were independent of other factors such as baseline blood pressure, type of diabetes, sex, and ethnic group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Fuller
mesh_terms: D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications