EUROMEDICA  Hanover 3-4  Juni 2010	Advanced methods of diagnosis, treatment and prophylactics
	European Academy of Natural Sciences, Hanover European Scientific Society, Hanover Berliner Medizinischen Gesellschaft, Berlin

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Objectives. 1. To examine the role of major life events, chronic stress and severity of symptoms in the diabetes development

2.To test personality type in mediating the different forms of diabetes.

Research design and methodology. The Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Scale (SRRS) was used to measure life stress. The Cartwright and Cooper Scale of Behavioral and Physical Symptoms was used to assess the severity of stress. Specially designed for this study Chronic Stress Scale measures the intensity of stress in different realms ( work, family, etc.) MBTI was used for personality type assessment.

Subjects. 55 type 1 and 188 type 2 patients attending Diabetic Clinic of Volfson hospital at Holon, Israel were selected for the investigation .Their healthy relatives (N= 272) were chosen as controls.

Results. Type 2 patients reported more negative life events than controls (p<0.5), but there is no difference between both diabetic groups and controls in overall intensity and number of life events.

In a similar vein, the diabetic patients do not suffer more than controls of chronic stress; neither do they report more severe behavioral and physical symptoms.

Only a quarter of patients consider stress as a precursor to illness. There is no data proving association of stress and type 1diabetes and there is a very weak and inconclusive support for type 2.

On the other hand, there is strong evidence of a relationship of certain personality types to diabetes.

Among 16 types two of them, ESTJ (extraverted sensory thinking judging) and ISTJ (introverted sensory thinking judging) constitute more than half (52.9%) of diabetic patients, comparing with 19.3 % of their total presence in the national sample (p<0.001)!

The both types seem to be practical, matter-of-fact, logical and organized, but they are rigid, tuff, impersonal and rather cold.

Conclusion. Evidence characterizing the effects of stress in diabetic patients is weak and contradictory, especially in type 1.

On the contrary, role of personality type is crucial. Two types ESTJ and ISTJ overrepresented in the patients’ sample.

As Hippocrates said: “It is more important to know what sort of a person has a disease, than to know what sort of disease a person has.”

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