People who experience work-related stress frequently are at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study finds.

Stress is a risk factor for many mental and physical health issues. Now, a new study by researchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum München have found that work-related stress also increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. This is one of the first studies to have found a strong association between the two, though previous studies have linked job strain to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

For the study, researchers used data from the MONICA/KORA cohort study, which collected data from more than 5,300 employed individuals aged between 29 and 66. None of the participants had diabetes.  The participants were followed for 13 years, during which, about 300 of them developed type 2 diabetes. Researchers found work-stress to be the biggest influencing factor after obesity, age and gender were taken into consideration.

Researchers concluded that individuals who are under a high level of pressure at work and at the same time perceive little control over the activities they perform, face about 45 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who are subjected to less stress at their workplace.

The findings are not just restricted to work-related stress. A previous study found that people suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a significant risk of developing type 2 diabetes. PTSD is a prolonged stress response syndrome, the symptoms for which develop in the aftermath of extremely stressful life events of exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature.

Other health issues faced due to stress include asthma, depression,  migraine flares, heart attacks and cancer.

The project was funded by the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the Competence network Diabetes mellitus. Findings were published online in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.