title: HbA1c levels as a function of emotional regulation and emotional intelligence in patients with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Understanding the role of emotion in glycemic control may be critical for the long-term treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this study we investigated the relationship between measures of emotional regulation and emotional intelligence and HbA1c levels in adult patients with T2 diabetes.
  
  
  
  100 adult patients with T2 diabetes completed assessments of emotional regulation (i.e., affect intensity/lability) and emotional intelligence and were then correlated with HbA1c levels with several relevant covariates.
  
  
  
  HbA1c levels were significantly associated with affect intensity (AI: r=.24, p=.018) and with emotional intelligence (EI: r=-.29, p=.004), but not affect lability. These results were the same even after adding income, state depression scores, insulin-dependent status, serum cholesterol, diabetes literacy and self-care as covariates (AI: β=.33, p=.001; EI: β=-.31, p=.002). Diabetes self-care, but not diabetes literacy, was also associated with HbA1c levels (β=-.29, p=.003).
  
  
  
  These data suggest that aspects of emotional regulation and emotional intelligence play a role in glycemic control in adult patients with T2 diabetes and do so even in the context of several variables relevant to diabetes. If so, interventions that can reduce affect intensity and/or increase emotional intelligence may represent a new strategy in the glycemic control of adult patients with T2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States. Electronic address: ecoccaro@bsd.uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Emil F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Coccaro
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Drossos
authors.affiliation: Kovler Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Phillipson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012648:Self Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human
keywords: Emotional intelligence; Emotional regulation; HbA(1c); T2D