People who are suffering from both diabetes and depression have to take different medications to treat both. But now, there was a study done to show that taking depression medication can help with diabetes instead of treating both with multiple medications. This could potentially be very helpful for people whom have difficulties keeping their blood sugar down and have to take medications to help with mental illness.

Diabetes and depression are linked with each other. Depression is more common with people that have diabetes. The stress and increased ricks of diabetes can bring on diabetes. “When diabetics do get depressed, however, taking antidepressants is linked to 95 percent higher odds that their blood sugar will be well controlled, the current study found.”

Scientists are now researching if there is a connection between the two diseases. When someone with depression has been improving, their lifestyle improves, including blood sugar levels.

“We don’t know the mechanism by which the use of antidepressants is associated with better blood sugars in those patients with both conditions,” said lead study author Dr. Jay Brieler of Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

The Study of Diabetes and Depression Connection

The stud was done which was reviewing electronic records of 1,400 diabetics between the years 2008-2013. This included lab tests for blood sugar and prescription data of antidepressants.

The average patients that were reviewed ended up being around the age of 62 and were obese. Among type-2 diabetes, they had many other health problems such as cholesterol.

Results Out of 1,400 People

• 1,134 did not suffer from depression
• 225 were being treated with depression
• 40 were diagnosed with depression but not treated

“About 51 percent of people with treated depression had their blood sugar under control, compared to only 35 percent of those with untreated depression.” This study shows that there is no exact correlation between high blood sugar levels and depression symptoms.

But there are some antidepressants on the market that have symptoms of weight gain and poor blood sugar levels, says Dr. Cohen, a researcher at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and the Cincinnati VA Medical Center who wasn’t involved in the study. The risks should not make patients deter from taking the medications though. “That’s why it is important to have those medications prescribed by a health care provider who will be following along closely enough to detect that and determine when changes are needed,” Cohen said