The effects of cognitive task demand on subjective stress and blood glucose levels in diabetics and non-diabetics.
Blood glucose levels (BGLs) and subjective estimate of stress levels (SESLs) were measured repeatedly in 45 min baseline sessions on three successive days in insulin-dependent diabetic and non-diabetic groups. In the diabetic groups the initial level of BG was twice that of the non-diabetic group and BGLs declined steadily within each session but not across sessions whereas BGLs in the non-diabetic group remained steady both within and across sessions. On two subsequent days half of each group performed a high demand and half a low demand task, BGLs and SESLs being assessed before, during and after the stress period. Stress did not appear to induce significant changes in BGL in any of the groups even though SESL measures indicated that the task appeared stressful to the groups. The implications of these findings for the relationship between stress and increases or decreases in BGL are discussed.
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*
D001786:Blood Glucose