Multimodal psychological intervention improves psychological well-being and inflammatory profiles in patients with diabetic nephropathy.
Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular basis of disease April 1, 2026 Hangyan Tang, Shengquan Liu
An eight-week multimodal psychological intervention combining cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness meditation, and relaxation training improved emotional well-being and quality of life in patients with diabetic nephropathy. The intervention also reduced levels of stress hormones (cortisol, CRH, ACTH) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α). Bioinformatic analysis identified IL-6 as a central mediator in the inflammatory regulatory network. These results suggest that psychological interventions can benefit DN patients by modulating the neuro-endocrine-immune axis, with IL-6 as a key target.