Mentally tiring work can increase the risk of diabetes in women

Women who find that their work is mentally fatigued are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology. The results of the study suggest that mentally challenging work, such as teaching, can increase the risk of diabetes in women. This suggests that employers and women should be more aware of the potential health risks badociated with mentally fatiguing work.

Type 2 diabetes is an increasingly prevalent disease that places a tremendous burden on patients and society and can lead to serious health problems, including heart attacks, strokes, blindness and stroke. renal failure. Many factors can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, including obesity, diet, exercise, smoking or a family history of the disease. A recent study suggested that work-related stress may be badociated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women, but further investigation is needed.

In a French study, Dr. Guy Fagherazzi and colleagues at Inserm's Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health examined the effects of tiring work on the incidence of diabetes on over 70,000 women for a period of 22 years. About 75% of women were teachers and 24% said they found their work very mentally tiring at the beginning of the study. The study found that women were 21% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they found their work tiring mentally at the beginning of the study. This factor was independent of typical risk factors, including age, level of physical activity, eating habits, smoking, blood pressure, family history of diabetes, and BMI.

Dr Guy Fagherazzi comments: "Although we can not directly determine the increased risk of diabetes in these women, our results indicate that this is not due to the typical risk factors for type 2 diabetes. This discovery underscores the importance of considering mental fatigue as a risk factor for diabetes in women. "

Dr. Guy Fagherazzi said, "Work that is mentally fatigued and type 2 diabetes is a growing phenomenon, and we know that support in the workplace has a greater impact on work-related stress in women than in men in stressful work environments could help prevent chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. "

The team is now considering studying the harmful effects of mental work on diabetic patients, including how they manage their treatment, their quality of life, and the risk of complications from diabetes. This research could help identify new approaches that could help improve the lives of patients with diabetes.

More information:
The study "Mildly Tough Work and Type 2 Diabetes in Women: A 22-Year Follow-up Study" will be published on March 13, 2019.

Provided by
European Society of Endocrinology