Today (14th November 2024) on World Diabetes Day, we explore the links between stress hormones and diabetes and what this could mean for future treatments
New research suggests that stress hormones might drive diabetes in obesity.
Obesity and diabetes
A recent study by Rutgers Health revealed that stress hormones may be the main driver of obesity-related diabetes. It’s been understood for many years that obesity causes diabetes by interfering with insulin signalling, which helps control blood sugar.
However, this new research suggests that the problem is the body’s stress response. Obesity increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which triggers stress hormones such as norepinephrine and epinephrine (often called catecholamines).
These hormones work against insulin and can raise blood sugar and fat levels leading to insulin resistance.
Understanding their theory
To help create a better understanding of their theory, researchers used mice that couldn’t produce stress hormones outside of their brain and central nervous system. These mice were then fed the same high-fat, high-sugar diet that normally leads to obesity and metabolic disease.
This proved that although these mice ate the same amount and got just as obese as normal mice, they did develop insulin resistance or diabetes, suggesting that it’s the increased stress hormones, not the weight gain that drives the development of diabetes.
Stress and obesity
Overall, the research shows that stress hormones do more than make us feel jittery and anxious. They also increase glucose and fat in the blood, counteracting the effects of insulin, which normally lowers them.
Even when the insulin system is working normally, the overactive stress response can overpower it, leading to high blood sugar and fat, which is the main cause of insulin resistance in obesity.
Implications for treatment
This study changes the traditional focus from insulin signally as the main culprit in obesity-related diabetes. By understanding the role stress hormones play, treatment can now focus on reducing these hormones instead of trying to fix the insulin resistance directly.
The researchers are planning on conducting human studies to further test these ideas, hoping that their findings can lead to a new way of preventing or treating diabetes by targeting stress hormone levels.
