Walk fast and sleep tight.

A shower can boost your mood, and lower your diabetes risk.

12-17-08 RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—If you’re suffering from depression, your odds of facing diabetes are higher, according to a study published in this month’s journal Diabetes Care.

THE DETAILS: Researchers looked at 20 studies trying to figure out which usually occurs first when people suffer from both depression and type 2 diabetes, an all-too-common combination. Thirteen of the studies analyzed depression as a precursor to diabetes, and the other seven studies examined the possibility of diabetes leading to depression. They found that people with depression have a 60% greater risk of developing diabetes than those without depression, while the risk of depression is 15% higher in someone who’s developed diabetes.

WHAT IT MEANS: Evidence suggests that being depressed not only affects one’s mental health, it can lead to diabetes and perhaps other serious health problems.