Diabetes and Psychology

You all may know that diabetes is a metabolic disease leading to secondary micro- and macrovascular complications, like nephropathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular diseases. You may also know that these microvascular complications impair patients’ daily activities and productivity and finally shortens the patients’ life expectancy. But you may not know that diabetes strongly affects the patient's psychological state: patients have to cope with having an incurable chronic disease that threatens their lives. Depression, anxiety, and eating disorders are very common. These can usually be treated effectively but tend to recur. What you might also not know is that, apart from diabetes’ psychological impact, it directly affects brain functions and structures, resulting in additional psychological and neurological challenges. Good mental health, I think you will agree, is vital for effective treatment; successful diabetes treatment requires not only taking medications but also a range of lifestyle changes. Diabetes management should therefore always include psychological care.

karin.eichele@novartis.com.

Karin Eichele

Novartis Pharma GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany

karin.eichele@novartis.com