Too much stress is not good for your health. Excessive stress in the workplace has been linked to a number of health conditions such as heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases. Researchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen – German Research Centre for Environmental Health suggest that too much stress may also be associated with Type 2 diabetes risk. They found some convincing evidence regarding the link between stress and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The researchers examined data collected from the population-based MONICA/KORA Cohort study, which includes over 5,300 participants with an age range between 29 and 66 and gainfully employed. At the start of the study, none of the participants had diabetes. But during the post-observation period, which took an average of 13 years, around 300 of the participants were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
The researchers were able to identify that work-related stress seems to be associated with the increased risk of developing of Type 2 diabetes. Based on their analysis, the researchers surmised that individuals who are under a high level of stress at work may have a 45 percent higher risk of developing diabetes. This is apart from the classic risk factors associated with the disease such as obesity, age and gender.
Prof. Karl-Heinz Ladwig, who led the said study, said, “According to our data, roughly one in five people in employment is affected by high levels of mental stress at work. By that, scientists do not 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 they have little scope for maneuver or for decision making. We covered both these aspects in great detail in our surveys.”
“In view of the huge health implications of stress-related disorders, preventive measures to prevent common diseases such as diabetes should therefore also begin at this point,” he further added.
Source: Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen – German Research Centre for Environmental Health. (2014, August 8). Work-related stress a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 14, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140808110720.htm
Tags: Diabetes News, excessive stress, pressure and diabetes, stress and diabetes, type 2 diabetes risk, workplace stress