Study Finds a Link between Stress and Diabetes Type-2

A new study has linked workplace stress with increased risk of type-2 diabetes.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Institute of Epidemiology II (EPI II) at the Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU), found that people who experience stress at work are at a 45 percent increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes as compared to people who don't suffer from work pressure.

In the U.S., the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes has increased from 5.6 million in 1980 to 26.9 million in 2010. According to CDC, by 2050 one in 3 US adults will have diabetes. Many health experts already advise people to engage in some form of physical activity to lower diabetes risk. This is one of the few studies that has found a link between stress and diabetes.

Diabetes type-2 is a chronic health condition in which people are unable to use a hormone insulin to manage blood sugar levels.

The researchers used data from the population-based MONICA/KORA cohort for the study. About 5,300 people were part of the current investigation. Around 300 people in this group developed diabetes during the study period.

The team found that the link between stress and diabetes was independent of other factors such as gender or age.

"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," Karl-Heinz Ladwig, lead author of the study, said in a news release.

"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," Ladwig said in a news release.