ESTRESSE PSICOLÓGICO E REGULAÇÃO DA GLICOSE: IMPACTO NA SENSIBILIDADE À INSULINA

Introduction: Psychological stress is defined as a state in which the individual identifies that environmental demands are overloading or exceeding their psychological resources or adaptive capacity, impairing their well-being. Stress, when present for prolonged periods, can cause metabolic dysfunctions, such as insulin resistance and changes in glucose homeostasis. Objective: The study aims to highlight the impacts of psychological stress on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, as well as to present strategies aimed at reducing stress levels and increasing insulin sensitivity. Methodology: This is an integrative literature review with descriptive and exploratory 2 aspects. Results and discussion: In total, a total of 12 articles were selected between the years 2020 to 2025, after refinement, 6 articles were selected in English and Portuguese, using the following descriptors in the database: “stress psychological and diabetes”, “glucose metabolism”, “insulin sensitivity”. Conclusion: Chronic exposure to psychological stress has a significant impact on energy metabolism, mainly through sustained activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and prolonged elevation of cortisol levels. This hypercortisolism is strongly associated with insulin resistance, dysfunction in insulin secretion, increased visceral adiposity and an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.