Work-related stress may increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

It is already known that work stress can have a major impact on health, including increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. However until now, studies have failed to find a strong link between it and type 2 diabetes.

German researchers decided to look into this further. They studied data on over 5,300 employees aged between 29 and 66. At the start of the study, nobody had diabetes. They were followed up for an average of 13 years, during which time almost 300 developed the condition.

The study found that those who were under a high amount of pressure at work and felt they had little control over their activities had a 45% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who were less stressed.

This increased risk was found to be independent of other risk factors such as age and obesity.

According to co-lead researcher, Prof Karl-Heinz Ladwig of the Helmholtz Zentrum München, the study data estimates that around one in five workers is affected by ‘high levels of mental stress at work'.

"By that, scientists do not mean ‘normal job stress' but rather the situation in which the individuals concerned rate the demands made upon them as very high, and at the same time they have little scope for maneuver or for decision making. We covered both these aspects in great detail in our surveys," he commented.