A study from Duke University shows that obesity is not the only risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Stress can play a major role in elevated blood sugar levels.
62 African-American women participated in the study. They were in good health, and had not been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They were assessed for abdominal fat which is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome and diabetes. The women were then measured for stress reactions during a test that measured emotional response.
The body releases epinephrine during stress. This is called the "fight or flight response". The women were asked to remember stressful times in their lives while the researchers recorded their blood sugar and epinephrine levels.
They found that women with a higher degree of belly fat, and a greater stress reaction, had a higher fasting glucose level, than women who had less belly fat.
"We observed a surprising connection between women with a higher percentage of belly fat and increased biological response to stress among African-American women, a patient population disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes," Richard Surwit, Ph.D., study co-author and chief of Duke's division of medical psychology, says in the press release. "While belly fat alone has been associated with elevated glucose, stress hormones appear to be contributing more significantly than previously thought."The combination of reducing abdominal fat and practicing stress reduction techniques may help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
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