Association a group-based stress management study was presented that indicated that group stress management training could lower blood glucose levels in Type 2 diabetes. Patients that received instruction regarding the health consequences of stress and instruction in the use of cognitive and behavioral skills such as deep breathing and recognition of major life stresses as well as instruction in progressive muscle relaxation lowered their glucose levels more than patients that did not have stress management training. Thirty-two percent of the patients receiving stress management lowered their A1C glucose levels by one percent or more as compared to 12% of the patients who did not receive this training. This modest change is larger than the half percent change that has been associated with significant reduction in microvasclar complications that can accompany out of control diabetes. While this change might move someone with tightly controlled diabetes to near normal levels; even those diabetics with poorer control would benefit from the reduction in glucose levels with fewer diabetic complications.
In summary, if you are a type 2 diabetic, learning to manage stress should have special health consequences for you. Although this was a group program, if none is available in your area, individual stress reduction strategies should be beneficial, especially if you have a friend or family member trying to learn stress management with you.
Stress and the immune system
The immune system has been called our liquid nervous system. With our growing knowledge of the human body has come an increasing conviction that stress may be a factor in susceptibility to colds, flu, mononucleosis and other infectious illnesses. It appears that some of the hormones secreted in the presence of stress emotions impair or weaken the immune process by reducing the number of disease-fighting components such as lymphocytes (white cells) thus leaving us more vulnerable to infection. This may be one of the reasons why so many people die within a year or so of their spouse’s death. Recently there has been research into why some HIV positive patients develop full blown AIDS while others do not. One interesting finding is that patients with a more effective style of coping with stress seem to have stronger resistance as a result. It is now reasonable to hypothesize that stress emotions increase secretion of certain hormones. These hormones weaken the immune system and that weakness results in an increased likelihood of infectious illness.
Recent research indicates that brief time-limited stress that may be viewed as a challenge (e.g. passing an exam, good performance in sports, solving a difficult puzzle under pressure) may actually enhance the body’s immune response. However, chronic stress seems to reduce the effectiveness of the immune system and thus make the person more susceptible to diseases.