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Type A behavior pattern and blood glucose control in diabetic children.
Psychosomatic Medicine
|May 1, 1987
Summary
Children with Type A behavior patterns show a stress-induced rise in blood sugar levels, unlike Type B children, indicating a link between behavior and diabetes management. This impacts understanding of glycemic response in pediatric diabetes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Behavioral Medicine
- Psychoneuroimmunology
Background:
- The Type A behavior pattern is associated with cardiovascular disease.
- Stress can impact metabolic control in individuals with diabetes mellitus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between Type A behavior pattern and glycemic response to acute stress in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).
Main Methods:
- Assessed blood glucose levels in 21 children (ages 8-16) with IDDM before and after a meal, and after a 10-minute competitive videogame stressor.
- Categorized subjects into Type A and Type B behavior patterns.
- Conducted a second study to confirm stress-induced hyperglycemia was not due to meal response differences.
Main Results:
- Type A children exhibited a significant hyperglycemic response to the videogame stressor, while Type B children did not.
- Type A subjects had significantly higher glycohemoglobin levels.
- No significant differences in postprandial blood glucose were found between Type A and Type B subjects in a non-stress condition.
Conclusions:
- The Type A behavior pattern is linked to a stress-induced hyperglycemic response in children with IDDM.
- These findings suggest that behavioral patterns may influence the physiological stress response in pediatric diabetes management.
- Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms and clinical implications of this association.