Sharma · Current diabetes reviews 2020 · narrative review · n=?

Chronic Stress and Diabetes Mellitus: Interwoven Pathologies.

Cited 110 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review of biological mechanisms without systematic methodology or primary human empirical data.

PubMed 31713487 · doi:10.2174/1573399815666191111152248 · record verified 2026-08-26

What was done

This narrative review summarizes the neuroendocrine mechanisms connecting chronic stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, and the development of Type 2 diabetes (T2D).

What was found

No quantitative findings or empirical metrics were reported in the abstract. The authors describe the biological cascade wherein chronic stress causes HPA axis dishabituation and sustained secretion of glucocorticoids and catecholamines, which promote hepatic gluconeogenesis, suppress glucose uptake in muscle and adipose tissue, promote lipolysis, inhibit insulin secretion, and induce insulin resistance and inflammation.

Why it matters

Understanding the neuroendocrine links between stress hormones and metabolic dysfunction clarifies how prolonged stress contributes to diabetes pathogenesis and highlights glucocorticoid pathway regulation as a potential therapeutic target.

Limits

The abstract describes a narrative conceptual framework without systematic search methodology, quantitative effect sizes, primary human sample sizes, or clinical trial evidence.

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