Anxiety among patients with diabetes mellitus evaluated using generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale

Abstract Background: Anxiety has been shown to be associated with poor outcomes in people with diabetes. However, there has been limited data, especially from India, which has specifically examined whether diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased likelihood of comorbid anxiety. Aim: The aim was to estimate the prevalence of anxiety in patients with diabetes and to determine the association of anxiety with age, sex, and other related parameters. Setting: Endocrine clinic, tertiary care hospital. Design: Cross-sectional. Materials and Methods: The study was cross-sectional carried out in endocrinology clinic of tertiary care hospital in North India. Cases were patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus above 30 years of age. Anxiety was assessed using the generalized anxiety disorders 7-item (GADs-7) scale. The relationship with a sociodemographic profile, duration of diabetes, hypertension, and microvascular complications was also analyzed. Results: Seventy-three subjects (42.5% females) with mean age 50.8 ± 9.2 years were evaluated. The prevalence of anxiety was 34%. Severe anxiety (GAD-7 score ≥15) was present in three (4%) subjects, moderate anxiety (GAD-7 score ≥10) was present in six (8%) subjects, and mild anxiety was present in 16 (22%) of subjects. Anxiety increased with fasting plasma glucose, hypertension, was more in women, but the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a higher prevalence of anxiety in patients with type 2 diabetes. No factor was significantly associated with anxiety. Therefore, anxiety should be assessed in each and every patient, irrespective of other factors.