Associations Between Diabetes-Related Distress and Cardiovascular Complication Risks in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Lower Socioeconomic Status: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the associations between diabetes-related distress and predicted 10-year risks for cardiovascular complications in a lower-socioeconomic-status population with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes-related distress was found to be significantly associated with the predicted 10-year risk for coronary heart disease in the studied population. In addition, the association between the predicted 10-year risk for stroke and diabetes-related distress was also statistically significant among individuals with lower occupational status scores. Based on these results, primary care providers are encouraged to integrate a psychosocial assessment into their clinical practices in diabetes management. Identification of diabetes-related distress might be an additional means to increase patient engagement in diabetes management and to help address patients' risks of cardiovascular complications, especially in safety-net clinics serving socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.