Diabetes and Anxiety: Challenges in Disease Management, Hypoglycaemia and Patient Education

Abstract

Diabetes prevalance is increasing all around the world, despite incredible efforts by the scientific associations and updated healthcare regulations by the governments. Year by year, growing number of medications with or without injection therapies (like insulin) which would be used not only for the management of high blood glucose (sugar), but also to avoid complications that may associate with a number of additional problems such as heart attack (myocardial infraction), kidney failure (hemodialysis, even kidney transplantation), eye disease (retinopathy), cerebral disease (stroke with or without cognitive dysfunction). During the management of diabetes, one of the fearful acute complication is low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia; hypo) that will also give rise to anxiety/anxiety-like symptoms. This chronic metabolic disorder may not only be associated with the development of anxiety later in life, but certain situations like diseasters (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc.) may trigger this psychological behaviour, as well. Over the last two decades, it has been observed that considerable number of muslim people with diabetes has been fasting Ramadan with an increasing trend despite both hypo and hyperglycaemia. Either fasting or prohibition of fasting may provoke anxiety for these people. Education is the key, starting from the diagnosis and at any step of life for those having diabetes in order to alleviate the anxiety symptoms.