Job stress could be a risk factor for diabetes

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

People suffering from workplace stress or job burnout seem to be more likely to develop diabetes.
Job burnout and workplace stress can have an adverse effect on physical and mental health. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University, Israel, reveal that diabetes may be one of the conditions brought on by stress.

They followed up 677 Israeli workers from 1998 to 2003. More than three quarters were men and their average age was 43 years. Of the group, 17 developed type 2 diabetes during the study period. Those who reported job burnout linked to stress were 1.84 times more likely to develop diabetes. When they looked at a subgroup of 507 workers and tried to eliminate the effect of blood pressure levels, it turned out that the stressed workers were 4.32 times more likely to get diabetes.

It is not clear how the impact of stress on diabetes risk works. It may be that people who don't handle stress well are more diabetes-prone. And in some people stress may result in their not handling glucose very well. The researchers would now like to try to replicate the stress and diabetes link in a larger group.

Source
Psychosomatic Medicine November/December 2006

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