Job burn-out 'ups diabetes risk'

People who suffer from job burn-out may be prone to developing type 2 diabetes, research suggests.

An Israeli study of 677 mostly male, middle-aged workers found those affected by burn-out were nearly twice as likely to develop the condition.

Diabetes is linked to poor lifestyle

When the possible effect of blood pressure levels was eliminated, the risk was more than four-fold higher.

The study, in Psychosomatic Medicine, suggests stress can be added to other factors known to increase risk. Unhealthy and stressful lifestyles are definitely a contributing factor in this.

The researchers, from Tel Aviv University, said they included obesity, smoking and lack of exercise. Lead researcher Dr Samule Melamed said: "Emotional burn-out may pose a risk to health.

"Earlier studies have found it to be associated with 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."

The Tel Aviv team found people who experienced job burn-out were 1.84 times more likely than others to develop type 2 diabetes, even when factors like age, sex and obesity were taken into account.

The researchers looked at a smaller sample - 507 workers - and tried to statistically eliminate the possible effect of blood pressure levels.

This revealed that burned-out workers were then 4.32 times more likely to get type 2 diabetes. - BBC