Antidepressants Raise Diabetes Risk

People who have developed glucose intolerance are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If we add antidepressant drugs, that 10-15% of US population uses, their risk of developing diabetes doubles.

Researchers are still investigating if depression itself poses risk to developing diabetes but it has been determined that antidepressant drugs are.

It was found during The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) that diabetes type 2 could be avoided or at least delayed by proper diet, regular exercise and by using a drug called Glucophage (metformin).

Conclusion about antidepressant risk was made from analyzes done on people with depressive symptoms who were divided into two groups, one taking medication and the other not. Those people who took antidepressants were found to be at double and even triple risk of developing diabetes.

It hasn’t been determined which of the antidepressant drugs could be associated with type 2 diabetes nor how, however it is known that it’s not through weight gain or effects on fasting plasma glucose or insulin levels.