Making a few simple lifestyle changes can help combat and cope up with stress which reduces the risk of diabetes.

NEW DELHI: Be it physical or emotional, taking
unnecessary stress can not only give you headache
or neck pain but, if left unattended for long, can
also trigger elevation in blood sugar levels leading
to Type 2 diabetes, health experts have warned.
Owing to changes in lifestyle and daily routine,
stress is now seen as a reason behind several
health hazards, including the rise in diabetes in
India.
Marked stress causes release of several stress
hormones like adrenaline and cortisol which, in
turn, increase levels of sugar in blood apart from
spiking blood pressure and pulse rate.
"If stress is consistently high, previously transient
sugar elevation becomes persistently high, resulting
in diabetes. Similarly, blood pressure elevation
becomes elevated constantly. Stress also causes
change in eating pattern, resulting in 'binge eating',
thus increasing weight which may also add to
elevation of blood sugar," Dr. Anoop Misra,
Chairman, Fortis C-DOC, told IANS.
Stress can affect diabetes control, both directly and
indirectly. It is widely recognised that people with
diabetes are regularly stressed and are more likely
to have poor blood glucose control.
"Both physical and emotional stress can prompt an
increase in these hormones which result in an
increase in blood sugar", Dr. Sunil Mittal, senior
psychiatrist and director, Cosmos Institute of
Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences in the
capital, told IANS.
Shared stress can also lead to similar dysregulation
of hormones in children. If they are under constant
stress in the home environment, children may have
a similarly dysmetabolic state.
"According to recent findings, stress hormones
cause an epigenetic change in sperm. So when a
father is stressed out, his hormones pack the
potential to raise his offspring's blood sugar levels.
With higher blood glucose levels comes a higher
diabetes risk, especially Type 2 diabetes," noted Dr.
Ajay Kumar Ajmani, senior consultant
(endocrinology) at BLK Super Speciality Hospital.
The primary function of these hormones is to raise
blood sugar to help boost energy when it's needed
the most.
Think of the fight-or-flight response. One possibly
can't fight danger when their blood sugar is low, so
it rises to help meet the challenge. Both physical
and emotional stress can prompt an increase in
these hormones, which results in an increase in
blood sugar levels.
Making a few simple lifestyle changes can help
combat and cope up with stress which reduces the
risk of being diabetic or help to keep diabetes in
control.
"One should do more of physical activities, like
yoga, gymming and dancing. Aerobics and Pilates
are great stress busters too. Make a few food
changes like having a plenty of fibre and choosing
whole grains. Avoid packaged foods and junk foods.
Most importantly, take a break from your regular
routine and plan some family outings," Ajmani
suggested.
Diabetes is a lifestyle disorder and becoming
increasingly common these days.
"Intermittent stress relief in small time frames
several times of day (10-15 minutes each) may be
acquired with chores that you enjoy the most like
music or playing your favourite sports. Mediation
helps a lot too," Misra added.