A recent study published in BMC Public Health analyzed the association between loneliness and progression from Prediabetes to diabetes.
The study aimed to determine how loneliness is correlated with the transition from prediabetes to diabetes in adults.
A total of 4,296 adults with prediabetes from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were included in the study from 2011 to 2020. A 4-point question, derived from the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, was used to evalaute loneliness. Incident diabetes identified by a self-reported diabetes was the outcome with glucose-lowering medication. Researchers investigated the associations using interval-censored Cox regression models. The researchers used the generalized structural equation models to estimate the mediation effect. Sex, marriage, social activity, antihypertensive agents, Smoking, insurance, and education were covariates.
During a median follow-up of 9 years, with an incidence rate of 19.8 per 1,000 person/yr, 658 cases of diabetes were observed. A 26% higher risk of transition from prediabetes to diabetes was associated with loneliness. A 1.53-fold higher risk of incident diabetes was seen in patients who experienced loneliness more frequently (5–7 days per week), compared to those who did not. Poor sleep quality is also a mediator between loneliness and the prediabetes progression.