Job 'burnout' raises risk of developing diabetes

The research carried out in Israel, involving 677 mostly male workers, examined whether there was any link between workers experiencing chronic "burnout" and type 2 diabetes.

Dr Samuel Melamed from Tel Aviv University, who led the research, said people suffering from job burnout displayed symptoms of "emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, and cognitive weariness".

Type 2 diabetes - often referred to as 'late onset' or 'non-insulin-dependent' diabetes - happens when the body becomes resistant to insulin. Although the condition can be controlled through diet, exercise or medicines, it can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, nerve damage and blindness.

According to support group Diabetes UK, around 2 million people suffer from type 2 diabetes in the UK, with a further 750,000 people who have the condition but are not aware of it.

Initially, the Israeli researchers found that workers who experienced job burnout were almost twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes, compared to the rest of the population. However, further investigation showed that he risk rose to four-times more likely, after taking into account other factors such as high blood-pressure.

Stress management

Dr Melamed said that earlier studies had shown a link between work-stress and cardiovascular disease risk, sleep disturbances, impaired fertility and musculoskeletal pain.

"Our finding suggests that the potential damage to health may be greater than suspected and it may also include a risk of diabetes," he said.

He added: "The general public should be aware that emotional burnout, in addition to its impairing quality of life, may also constitute risk to health.

"Knowledge and implementation of stress management techniques such as exercising, getting enough sleep, dieting, assertiveness training, may prevent burnout or reduce it before it becomes chronic, thereby reducing the potential risk of physical health impairment."

The findings of the study were published in the American journal 'Psychosomatic Medicine'.

Getting worse

Natasha Marsland, care advisor at Diabetes UK, said that stress "certainly could play a part" in the onset of type 2 diabetes.

"Stress can cause high blood pressure which is a risk factor for type, 2 diabetes and it can also cause fat to deposit around the waist which is also a huge risk factor," she added.

"Working long hours in stressful environments leaves little time for physical activity. Unless people find the time to fit in 30 minutes of physical activity day, the diabetes epidemic will continue to get worse."

She went on to say that previously type 2 diabetes was only found in people over 40, but that it was also now increasing at "an alarming rate" among younger people. "Unhealthy and stressful lifestyles are definitely a contributing factor in this," she said.

Recent research from Canada, due to be published in the Lancet, has shown a 69% increase in diabetes over the past 10 years. Diabetes UK said the study suggested that its "conservative estimate" of a 30% increase in diabetes in Britain by 2010 may need to be re-evaluated.