CLEVELAND – It’s no secret that mentally tiring work can make us feel drained at the end of the day.
But according to one recent study, taxing work can actually put women at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“What they found, was in a group of more than 70,000 women, there was a 21 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes for those who declared very mentally tiring work,” said Mary Vouyiouklis Kellis, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic, who did not take part in the study.
Dr. Vouyiouklis Kellis said experts know that stress increases cortisol levels.
She said cortisol counteracts insulin, and when cortisol levels rise, more glucose travels from the liver into the bloodstream.
This results in high blood-glucose levels, which over time, can cause a person to develop insulin-resistance, and lead to type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Vouyiouklis Kellis said people who have tiring jobs may also have other stressors at home – and when those factors combine – they can create a lot of stress with no time for decompression.
This is why she believes it’s so important to find ways to relieve stress, to prevent cortisol levels from spiking.
“It doesn’t take a lot of time or work, said Dr. Vouyiouklis Kellis.
Whether you have a predisposition for diabetes or not, Dr. Vouyiouklis Kellis said if you have stress, it’s important to find some way to decompress that fits your lifestyle.
“I would recommend finding what works for you,” she said. “Whether it’s going to the gym, going out into nature, go on walks – finding what’s right for you is really the most important thing and making sure that you do it every day.”