London - 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 percent more likely to fall ill with the condition, which increases the risk of heart disease, strokes, blindness and amputations.
Some three million people in the UK are currently affected by the disease, but if trends continue this could rise to four million by 2025 and five million by 2030, with type 2 accounting for 90 percent of cases.
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.
Over a 12-year period, nearly 300 of the subjects – who were previously healthy – developed type 2 diabetes.
As well as measuring body mass index (BMI) and family medical history, researchers quizzed volunteers on their stress levels at work. High job strain was defined as being faced with huge demands but having little control over how things are done.
When the researchers matched patients with the work stress results, they found those who were under most pressure were 45 percent 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.”
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 £2-million a day on medication for diabetes.
The Health and Social Care Information Centre warned costs have soared 50 percent over eight years. In England alone, the number of prescriptions has jumped from 27 million to 45 million a year since 2005/6. - Daily Mail