Optimism may Reduce Diabetes Risk in Postmenopausal Women

While it is known that a positive personality can help one succeed in life, a new study suggests that traits such as optimism may actually help reduce the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.

Success will always come hand in hand in life when you have a positive personality. But, a new study has shown idealistic results proving the fact that optimism can take you a long way beyond success in making you less prone to develop Type-2 diabetes.//

The study examined whether personality traits, including optimism, negativity, and hostility, were associated with the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes in postmenopausal women.

Dealing with Menopause Symptoms Through Lifestyle Changes
You can deal with menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, weight gain and forgetfulness by making simple lifestyle changes.

Depression and cynicism were found to be associated with an increased risk of diabetes.

In addition, high levels of hostility were associated with high fasting glucose levels, insulin resistance, and prevalent diabetes.

For the study, published in the journal Menopause, researchers followed 139,924 postmenopausal women amongst which 19,240 cases of Type-2 diabetes were identified.

Perimenopause - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
Perimenopause is a transition phase that lasts until menopause. The low estrogen levels during this phase cause irregular periods and early menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. This phase may last from a few months to years.

Compared with women who were least optimistic, women who were the most optimistic had a 12 per cent lower risk of incident diabetes, results showed.

In addition, the association of hostility with the risk of diabetes was stronger in women who were not obese compared with women who were.

What is Menopause?
Menopause is defined as the state of permanent cessation of menstrual cycles (periods) for 12-months.

Hence, low optimism, high negativity and hostility were associated with increased risk of incident diabetes in postmenopausal women, independent of major health behaviors and depressive symptoms, the study concluded.

"In addition to using personality traits to help us identify women at higher risk for developing diabetes, more individualized education and treatment strategies should also be used," said Joann Pinkerton, executive director at The North American Menopause Society.

Diet for Menopause - Foods to Eat & Avoid
Menopause is a stage when hormone levels decline in middle aged women. Right food choices combined with regular exercise is the key to alleviate menopausal symptoms.

The prevalence of diabetes increases with age, with a 25.2 per cent prevalence in those aged 65 years or older.

Source-IANS

TOP INSIGHT

Many women are much prone to develop negativistic behavior post-menopause as a result of dropping estrogen hormones. Interventions should be aimed at promoting mental health in them.