A study published in Diabetes Medicine, which looked at over 2,000 men and 3,000 women born between 1938 and 1957, found that men with high levels of 'psychological distress' were 2.2 more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with low levels – but that a similar link was not found in women. The analysis showed that the link is independent of other factors (age, family history of diabetes, smoking etc.).
The lead professor, Anders Ekbom, commented that the link could be because psychological distress affects the way in which the brain regulates hormones, or could be because depression can have a negative effect on diet and physical activity levels. As men and women have different coping strategies, this could account for the difference in risk – for example, women 'communicate symptoms of distress and depression', whereas men are more likely to turn to drink or other actions.
Source: BBC News online, 28 July 2008