Evaluation of Psychological Stress and its Association with Glycosylated Hemoglobin and C-reactive Protein in Physicians

Throughout the world physicians face stress because of time pressures, workload, multiple roles and emotional issues. As a result, they are prone to develop psychological stress and related health problems. Evaluation of the psychological stress and its association with glycosylated hemoglobin and CRP level in physicians. This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December, 2022 among70 apparently healthy physicians working in Dhaka Medical college Hospital. The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) was used to evaluate the stress level. Stress was categorized by the scores from GHQ-12. Score ‘≥4’denoted psychiatric morbidity. The study parameters were stress score, HbA1C and CRP. Chi-square test, ANOVA followed by post hoc Bonferroni test, Pearson’s correlation test was performed as applicable. Results were presented as mean and standard deviation (mean ± SD). Among all study subjects 10% participants had no stress, 27.1% participants had low stress and 62.9% participants had psychiatric morbidity. The mean ±SD of HbA1C of male and female physicians were 5.20±0.63 and 5.31±0.63 respectively. The mean ±SD of CRP in male and female physicians were 3.89±4.97 and 3.15±3.47 respectively. High stress score showed positive correlation with increased level of glycosylated hemoglobin. In male physicians CRP level showed negligible negative correlation with high stress but it showed positive correlation in female physicians. In male physicians none of the study parameters had statistically significant relationship with stress. In female physicians, high stress score was statistically significant relationship with increased HbA1C. This study implies that high stress level influences the increase of glycosylated hemoglobin in all physicians. Female subjects were more affected by high stress than males. CRP level had non-significant alteration with high stress score in both genders.