A large retrospective study published in BIO Integration highlights the significant mental health and sleep-related burdens faced by adults with prediabetes, especially among women and middle-aged individuals, suggesting routine screening should be considered.
A large retrospective analysis published in BIO Integration suggests that prediabetes carries a substantial mental health burden, with anxiety, depression, fatigue and insomnia affecting many patients. The study, highlighted by News-Medical, examined laboratory-confirmed prediabetes in the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network and found that more than one-third of the nearly 579,000 adults in the cohort had anxiety, while depression, fatigue and insomnia were also common.
The findings add weight to a growing body of evidence that glucose dysregulation is linked with psychological and sleep-related symptoms. In 2022, a controlled cross-sectional study found higher rates of fatigue, anxiety and depression in people with prediabetes than in a control group, alongside poorer quality of life. Earlier research in Clinical Nursing Research also reported that insomnia was prevalent in adults with prediabetes and was tied to lower physical activity, suggesting sleep disruption may interfere with healthier habits.
The new analysis used records from 2000 to 2025 and separated existing cases from new diagnoses after prediabetes was identified. Over a median follow-up of just under two years, the study found meaningful new-onset rates of anxiety, depression, fatigue and insomnia. Middle-aged adults had higher incidence than younger adults, and women were more affected than men. A race-stratified review also found the highest prevalence in White people and the lowest in Asian people.
The results come against a wider public health backdrop in which prediabetes is already highly prevalent. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says roughly 96 million adults in the United States had prediabetes in 2019, more than one-third of the adult population. Taken together, the evidence suggests clinicians should consider routine mental health and sleep screening as part of prediabetes care, especially for women and middle-aged patients.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
