Overdoing it at work is bound to make you tired, grumpy and
stressed.
But research
suggests it could also significantly increase your risk of developing
type 2 diabetes – even if you’re not overweight.
A major study has found that those under the most strain at work
are 45 per cent more likely to fall ill with the condition, which
increases the risk of heart disease, strokes, blindness and
amputations.
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| Overdoing it at work can significantly increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even if you're not overweight, a study has found |
The study, from the Institute of Epidemiology in Munich, followed 5,337 men and women aged between 29 and 66 who were in full-time work
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| Those under the most strain at work are 45 per cent more likely to fall ill with the condition, which increases the risk of heart disease, strokes, blindness and amputations |
When the
researchers matched patients with the work stress results, they found
those who were under most pressure were 45 per cent more likely to have
developed diabetes.
The findings
– published by journal Psychosomatic Medicine – showed that even among
workers with relatively healthy BMIs, stress at work was still a
significant risk factor.
A high BMI of 30 or more is usually seen as
the diabetes danger zone.
Researcher Professor Karl-Heinz Ladwig said:
‘According to our data, roughly one in five people in employment is
affected by high levels of stress at work.
‘We don’t mean normal job stress but rather
the situation in which the individuals concerned rate the demands made
upon them as very high and at the same time have little scope for
manoeuvre or decision-making.’
 |
| Dr Alasdair Rankin, director of research at Diabetes UK, said managing stress in the workplace is 'sensible and important' |
It’s
not clear how high levels of job strain lead to diabetes but it’s
possible that constant exposure to raised levels of stress hormones
upsets the body’s glucose balance. High blood glucose levels can damage
the body’s circulation and major organs.
It is thought that around 600,000 Britons have
the condition without realising – possibly because they do not
recognise symptoms, which include fatigue, thirst, frequent urination
and wounds that are slow to heal.
Type 2 was
once known as ‘late onset’ diabetes because of its tendency to strike
from middle-age onwards, but it is now being seen in more people in
their teens and twenties.
Dr Alasdair
Rankin, director of research at Diabetes UK, said scientists are
beginning to investigate the role that stress and long working hours
play in the development of the condition.
‘A lot of these factors have been shown to be
associated with type 2,’ he said. ‘But it can be hard to tell whether
that is through a direct effect on our bodies, or whether these factors
make us less likely to look after our health in other ways.
‘More research is needed to understand
whether that is important and why.
‘Managing stress in the workplace is sensible
and important and we know that the best way to reduce your risk of type 2
diabetes is to manage your weight, by eating a healthy balanced diet
and doing regular exercise.’
A report
last week said the NHS spends more than £2million a day on medication
for diabetes.
The Health and Social Care Information Centre
warned costs have soared 50 per cent over eight years. In England alone,
the number of prescriptions has jumped from 27million to 45million a
year since 2005/6
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