High Depressive Symptoms in Previously Undetected Diabetes – 10-Year Follow-Up Results of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study

Aim To determine the 10-year cumulative incidence of high depressive symptoms in people with diagnosed and, in particular, previously undetected diabetes compared to those without diabetes in a population-based cohort study in Germany. Materials and methods We included 2813 participants (52.9% men, mean age (SD) 58.9 (7.7) years, 7.1% diagnosed diabetes, 5.6% previously undetected diabetes) from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study. We calculated the odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using multiple logistic regression analyses for diagnosed and undetected diabetes. Results Cumulative 10-year incidences (95%-CI) of high depressive symptoms in participants with diagnosed diabetes, previously undetected diabetes, and without diabetes were 15.4% (10.7-21.2), 10.1% (5.9-15.9), and 12.4% (11.1-13.8), respectively. Age-sex-adjusted ORs were 1.51 (1.01-2.28) in participants with diagnosed diabetes compared to those without, 1.40 (0.92-2.12) after adjustment for BMI, physical activity, education, and smoking, and 1.33 (0.87-2.02) after further adjustment for stroke and myocardial infarction. ORs in participants with previously undetected diabetes were 0.96 (0.56-1.65), 0.85 (0.49-1.47), and 0.85 (0.49-1.48), respectively, and lower in men than in women. Conclusion As expected, we found an increased odds of developing high depressive symptoms in participants with diagnosed diabetes. However, the odds ratios decreased when we considered comorbidities and other covariates. Interestingly, in participants with previously undetected diabetes, the odds was not increased, even 10 years after detection of diabetes. These results support the hypothesis that high depressive symptoms develop due to diabetes-related burdens and comorbidities and not due to hyperglycemia or hyperinsulinemia.