The Interconnection of Stress and Type 2 Diabetes: Unveiling the Brain Circuit Regulating Blood Glucose
Stress doesn’t just affect the mind: it also alters metabolism. Research from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York reveals that the medial amygdala, key in the emotional response, is directly involved in the release of glucose from the liver. When stress becomes chronic, this circuit dysregulates and contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes. The finding opens up new avenues for prevention and therapies that integrate mental health and metabolic health.
The circuit connecting emotions and metabolism
Until now, it was believed that blood sugar regulation was controlled by the brainstem. The new study demonstrates that the medial amygdala also plays a decisive role: when activated in stressful situations, it sends signals to the hypothalamus, which in turn stimulates the liver to release glucose. This mechanism makes sense in moments of danger, providing immediate energy, but under chronic stress, it becomes a source of imbalance.
From useful response to chronic risk
Under normal conditions, this circuit offers a temporary energy boost. However, when stress is combined with a high-fat diet, the response becomes distorted: the liver releases excess glucose, blood levels remain elevated, and the risk of disease, which already affects more than 500 million people, increases.
Researchers monitored the neuronal activity of mice subjected to stressful situations. They observed an increase in amygdala activity and, simultaneously, in blood glucose. When they artificially activated this brain region in non-stressed animals, glucose levels rose similarly, although without changes in behavior. This confirmed the existence of an amygdala-hypothalamus-liver circuit directly linked to glucose.
The full article can be found here.
The risk was amplified when the animals were exposed to stress and high-fat diets. The circuit ended up “desensitized”: no longer responding in a balanced way and maintaining abnormal glucose release, favoring the appearance of persistent hyperglycemia and diabetes.
The full article can be found here.
The finding changes the way we understand the relationship between emotions and metabolism. Dr. Sarah Stanley, the study’s leader, emphasizes that the amygdala not only regulates behavior in response to stress but also bodily responses. This means that reducing stress can become a key preventive tool against type 2 diabetes. Therapies aimed at restoring this circuit, along with changes in diet and exercise, could reduce the risk.
The research also reinforces the importance of social determinants of stress — such as work, economic, or emotional pressure — in the development of chronic diseases. Addressing these factors could improve not only mental health but also metabolic health. The authors suggest that future therapies could combine stress management techniques, psychological interventions, meditation, or neurostimulation to restore normal circuit function and reduce risks.
