According to researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, if you are a permanently stressed man, you are significantly more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than men with no stress in their lives. This is the result of a study of almost 7,000 men who were taking part in a long-term population-based health study.
At the beginning of the research, none of the men had any history of diabetes, stroke or heart disease and 15.5% reported experiencing permanent or chronic stress related to conditions at work or home during the past one to five years. 899 of these men developed type 2 diabetes over the 35 years they were followed, and the researchers concluded that there was a link between the metabolic condition and your level of stress.
The specific results were that, when compared to men who reported feeling no stress or only periodical stress, those who said that they were permanently stressed were discovered to have a 45% greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Even when the researchers took other risk factors into account, such as age, levels of physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure and use of high blood pressure medication, for example, the connection between stress levels and diabetes remained statistically significant.
According to Masuma Novak, lead author of the study, which is published in the journal Diabetic Medicine, ‘Today, stress is not recognised as a preventable cause of diabetes. However our study shows that there is an independent link between permanent stress and the risk of developing diabetes, which underlines the importance of preventive measures.’ If you feel like you’re permanently stressed, consult your doctor or look online for ways to relieve your stress, and improve your health.