Prediabetes and the risk of type 2 diabetes: investigating the roles of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the Lifelines Cohort Study

Background Depression and anxiety may increase the risk of progressing from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. The present study examined the interactions between prediabetes status and elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms with the risk of type 2 diabetes. Methods Participants (N=72,428) were adults aged 40 years and above without diabetes at baseline from the Lifelines Cohort Study (58% female; mean age=51.4 years). The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview screened for elevated symptoms of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels determined prediabetes status at baseline (2007-2013), and HbA1c and self-reported diabetes diagnoses determined diabetes status at follow-up (2014-2017). Groups were formed for elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively, and prediabetes status at baseline (elevated depressive/anxiety symptoms with prediabetes, elevated depressive/anxiety symptoms alone, and prediabetes alone), and compared to a reference group (no prediabetes or anxiety/depression) on the likelihood of developing diabetes during the follow-up period. Findings N=1,300 (1.8%) participants developed diabetes. While prediabetes alone was associated with incident diabetes (OR=5.94; 95% CI=5.10-6.90, p<.001), the group with combined prediabetes and depressive symptoms had the highest likelihood of developing diabetes over follow-up (OR=8.29; 95% CI=5.58-12.32, p<.001). Similar results were found for prediabetes and anxiety symptoms (OR=6.57; 95% CI=4.62-9.33, p<.001), compared to prediabetes alone (OR=6.09; 95% CI=5.23-7.11, p<.001), though with a smaller effect. The interaction between depressive symptoms and prediabetes was synergistic in age-and-sex adjusted analyses. Conclusion Individuals with elevated depressive, and to some extent anxiety, symptoms in combination with prediabetes may represent a high-risk subgroup for type 2 diabetes

Real and nominal wage rigidities in collective bargaining agreements

Abstract An earlier study of wage agreements, reached in the Canadian unionized sector between 1976-99, found that wage adjustment is characterized by downward nominal rigidity and significant spikes at zero. We extend this earlier approach to encompass the possibility of real as well as nominal wage rigidity. The addition of real wage rigidity variables enhances earlier results and suggests that real rigidity increases significantly the mass in the histogram bin containing the mean anticipated rate of inflation, as well as in adjacent bins. Downward nominal wage rigidities and spikes at zero remain important. JEL Classification: J52,J3

The 3111T/C polymorphism interacts with stressful life events to influence patterns of sleep in females.

Genetic variations in clock-relevant genes have been investigated in relation to sleep abnormalities, both in healthy populations and in mood-disorder patients with inconsistent results. Environmental influences may moderate associations between genes and phenotype. The authors examined the CLOCK 3111T/C polymorphism and several variants within the PER3 gene and their possible interaction with stressful life events in a group of female volunteers (n = 415). Gene-environment (G 7 E) interactions and gene main effects were investigated on depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory and on change of sleep patterns (Item 16). Results showed a G 7 E interaction on alteration of sleeping pattern: the 3111C homozygous genotype reported greater disruption in sleep pattern after the experience of stressful life events. Within the PER3 gene, one G 7 E interaction was observed with rs228642 on sleep change. These findings show that the 3111T/C polymorphism is not associated with depressive symptoms, but only with symptoms of sleep change in the case of prior stressful life experiences. The combination of a sensitive genotype (3111C/C) and environmental stress increases vulnerability to circadian rhythm disruption in females

The role of serotonergic genes and environmental stress on the development of depressive symptoms and neuroticism

BACKGROUND: Depression is considered to be the result of a complicated synergy between genetic and environmental factors. Several genes of the serotonergic neurotransmission have been related to depression phenotypes, however results are inconsistent, possibly due to the oversight of the role of environmental stress. METHODS: We examined gene-environment (GxE) interactions with serotonergic genes on depressive symptoms and neuroticism in a homogeneous population-based sample of 415 females. We chose several genetic variants within candidate genes (SLC6A4, TPH2, HTR1A) that have been previously found to provide some evidence of association with depression outcomes. RESULTS: Single marker analyses showed a significant GxE interaction with several TPH2 variants, including rs4570625, on depressive symptoms. Significant GxE interactions were also observed with TPH2 haplotypes. No reliable associations were observed with SLC6A4 and HTR1A genes. We did not find any robust evidence of a direct impact of serotonergic genes on depressive symptoms or neuroticism. LIMITATIONS: Due to the high number of analyses conducted, results must be interpreted with caution. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates an association between TPH2 and depressive symptoms that is conditional on prior experience of stressful life events. Further evidence is provided about the role of the environment in genetic vulnerability to depressio

Neuroticism, social network, stressful life events:Association with mood disorders, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in a community sample of women

According to the stress-diathesis hypothesis, depression and suicidal behavior may be precipitated by psychosocial stressors in vulnerable individuals. However, risk factors for mental health are often gender-specific. In the present study, we evaluated common risk factors for female depression in association with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in a community sample of women. The sample was composed by 415 women evaluated for mood disorders (MDs), depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation by structured interviews and the Beck depression inventory II (BDI II). All women also filled in the Eysenck personality questionnaire to evaluate neuroticism and were interviewed for social contact frequency and stressful life events (SLEs). In the whole sample, 19% of the women satisfied criteria for MD and suicidal ideation was reported by 12% of the women. Though stressful life events, especially personal and interpersonal problems, and poor social network were associated with all the outcome variables (mood disorder, depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation), neuroticism survived to all multivariate analyses. Social network, together with neuroticism, also showed strong association with depressive severity, independently from current depressive state. Though we were unable to compare women and men, data obtained from the present study suggest that in women neurotic traits are strongly related to depression and suicidal ideation, and potentially mediate reporting of stressful life events and impaired social network. Independently from a current diagnosis of depression, impaired social network increases depressive symptoms in the women