This study was carried to ascertain whether stress responses are associated with abnormalities in glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and pancreatic beta cell function and risk of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Salivary cortisol, a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and salivary α-amylase, a marker of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) were compared in 125 subjects of newly detected diabetes mellitus (NDDM) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) subjects who were diagnosed on the basis of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Assessment of stress in them was done through stress scales - presumptive stressful life events scale (PSLES), perceived stress scale (PSS) and sense of coherence (SOC) and correlated with these and other stress response markers. Significantly higher 10 pm salivary cortisol and post dexamethasone salivary cortisol were found in NDDM subjects as compared to NGT. 10 pm salivary cortisol correlated significantly with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2 h plasma glucose (2h PG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) while post dex salivary cortisol correlated with 2h PG, HbA1c and salivary α-amylase with 2h PG. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that body mass index (OR: 1.840), SOC (OR: 0.688) and 10 pm salivary cortisol (OR: 1.427) were the strongest predictors of NDDM. The results of the present study indicate that NDDM subjects display significantly higher chronic stress and stress responses when compared to subjects with NGT. Chronic stress and endocrine stress responses are significantly associated with glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus.

Aims: Chronic stress is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Oxidative stress and inflammation are potential mediators of this risk. This study was conducted to investigate the association of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers with chronic stress and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Methods: Oxidative stress/antioxidant status (malondialdehyde [MDA], reduce glutathione [GSH], glutathione reductase [GR], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase [SOD]), inflammatory markers (highly sensitive Creactive protein [hsCRP], adiponectin, leptin), chronic stress levels as assessed by stress scales-presumptive stressful life events scale (PSLES), perceived stress scale (PSS), sense of coherence (SOC) and stress biomarker-salivary cortisol in 125 subjects with newly detected diabetes mellitus (NDDM) were compared with an equal number of age and sex matched subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT).Results: NDDM subjects as compared with NGT had significantly increased MDA (P < 0.001), hsCRP (P < 0.001), and leptin (P = 0.014) levels and increased GR (P = 0.043) and SOD (P < 0.001) activity along with decreased GSH (P < 0.001) and adiponectin (P < 0.001) levels. They also had significantly higher PSLES-LT and PSS and lower SOC scores along with elevated levels of 10:00 PM salivary cortisol and post dexamethasone salivary cortisol as compared with NGT.