The Influence of Psychological Stress on the Initiation and Progression of Diabetes and Cancer

Abstract

Context Psychological stress can be considered a risk factor for the initiation and progression of many pathological conditions, including type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus and cancer. Objectives The aim of this review article was to evaluate the molecular and cellular mechanisms linking psychological stress to the onset and progression of diabetes and cancer. Evidence Acquisition The current review was conducted to survey and analyze studies related to the effects of psychological stress on diabetes and cancer. Results Psychological stress may make individuals prone to the development of diabetes through the impairment of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis function, sympathetic nerves system (SNS), lipid profile, cytokines balance, renin-angiotensin system (RAS), and insulin signaling pathway. Additionally, psychological stress can contribute to the development of cancer through the perturbation in the HPA axis, SNS function, and cytokines balance. Psychological stress is also capable of decreasing the levels of oxytocin and dopamine, leading to an increased risk of cancer in susceptible individuals. Conclusions It seems that psychological stress plays a significant role in the onset and progression of diabetes and cancer. The identification of the pathways triggered by psychological stress would open up a new avenue for the understanding of molecular mechanisms by which diabetes and cancer could be managed or even prevented.

Effect of stress on sleep hygiene among school going adolescents in Chennai

“…Prolonged rise of inflammatory mediators and free radicals makes an individual more prone for lifestyle disorders, such as Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, Dyslipidaemia and early cardiac disease. [2526272829303132]…”

Psychological Stress and Cellular Aging in Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

“…Several biochemical processes are considered in the PS-cancer and PS-aging links including the activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, deregulation of the sympathetic nervous signaling (SNS), inflammation, and decrease in cellular immunity [4–6, 8, 11, 20, 53–61] (Figure 2).…”

“…Over time, the association has been widely discussed in the literature among various professional fields. Despite an extensive period of research, the literature findings are often dispersed between the fields [2] largely due to the complexity and multifactorial etiology of cancer, psychological stress (PS), and stress-related diseases [4–6]. In vitro studies on animals show PS can affect all three stages of carcinogenesis.…”

Animal Models for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

“…Stress is biologically defined as a physiological response to a stimulus that allows organisms to adapt to their environment (23). However, when stress becomes chronic or occurs whilst important development processes are ongoing, the consequences can be harmful and lead to a predisposition for several diseases, including cardiovascular diseases (24), metabolic disorders (25,26), depression (27), neurodegenerative diseases (28), drug abuse (117,118) Hyperpermeability at D1 (112,113) Hypersensitivity at D3 (114) Structural changes mucus layer at D4 (115) Dysbiosis at D10 (117,118) Increased glial, neuronal activation in hypothalamus and amygdala & synaptogenesis in the hippocampus (121,123) Restrain stress Increased fecal output CRFR1-dependent manner (37) Neuronal activation over several brain structures and nuclei including the supraoptic nucleus, locus coeruleus, the ventrolateral medulla, the medial division of the central amygdaloid nucleus, nucleus of the solitary tract and even the dorsal nucleus of the vagus nerve, structures involved in food intake and stress response.…”