<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The findings of a new study suggest that feelings of loneliness are linked to a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). The research, published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]), was conducted by Associate Professor Roger E.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Henriksen and his colleagues at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. As well as examining the association between loneliness and the risk of developing T2D, it looked at whether depression and insomnia play a role.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A growing body of research has pointed to a link between psychological stress and an individual's risk of developing T2D. Loneliness creates a chronic and sometimes long-lasting state of distress which may activate the body's physiological stress response.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, this response is believed to play a central role in the development of T2D through mechanisms such as temporary insulin resistance brought on by elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This process also involves changes in the regulation of eating behaviour by the brain, causing an increased appetite for carbohydrates and subsequently elevated blood sugar levels. Previous studies have found an association between loneliness and unhealthy eating including higher consumption of sugary drinks and foods rich in sugars and fats.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The researchers used data from the HUNT study, a collaboration between the HUNT Research Centre (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology [NTNU]), Trondelag County Council, the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This database contains the health information (from self-reported questionnaires, medical examinations and blood samples) of more than 230,000 people and was obtained via four population surveys: HUNT1 (1984-1986), HUNT2 (1995-1997), HUNT3 (2006-2008) and HUNT4 (2017-2019). Baseline information for 24,024 participants was taken from HUNT2 after excluding individuals with metabolic disorders, type 1 and type 2 diabetes and those for whom blood test data were not available.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">T2D status was the main outcome variable and was based on HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin - a measure of long-term blood sugar control) being greater than 48mmol/mol when measured in the HUNT4 survey.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Loneliness was gauged from HUNT2 data survey whether they had felt lonely over the previous 2 weeks and was measured on a four-point scale ('no', 'a little', 'a good amount' and 'very much'). Source: HT</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh&nbsp;</div>