Summary
Psychological and physical stresses play a significant role in the development of hyperglycemia in the setting of type 2 diabetes. Although Thomas Willis demonstrated hyperglycemia in response to stress as early as the 17th century, results of subsequent animal and human studies are not consistent. This inconsistency exists despite clear physiologic evidence that stress hormones can cause hyperglycemia via modulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Studies, which use both behavioral and pharmacologic interventions to manage stress, offer mixed results regarding the ability of relaxation techniques to modify hyperglycemia. However, when the data are evaluated in the setting of a large meta-analysis, the evidence indicates that modification of stress leads to a modest reduction in hyperglycemia.
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Batch, B.C., Surwit, R.S. (2008). Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 and Stress: Pathophysiology and Treatment. In: Feinglos, M.N., Bethel, M.A. (eds) Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Contemporary Endocrinology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-043-4_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-043-4_28
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