Risk of Developing Diabetes is Greater for Women who Work Overtime

Risk of Developing Diabetes is Greater for Women who Work Overtime

On Monday a new study was published in the British Medical Journal Open Diabetes Research and Care, which shows that women who work overtime may have an increased risk of developing diabetes. We all know that in our days, people tend to overwork, but how bad is this for women’s health?

The study was led by researchers from Canada, who analyzed medical records in over 7,000 men and women, with ages between 35 and 74. All of them had a different number of hours worked per week. What was found was that one in 10 people in the research had diabetes, especially if they were men, obese and older. So even though women posed a lower risk of developing diabetes than men, there was a catch. It seems that women who worked long hours, more than the normal schedule (or more than 45 hours per week), had a 62% higher chance of getting diabetes than women who did not work overtime.

Why is this happening?

These findings may come as a surprise, since when it comes to men working overtime, it looks like the risk in fact decreased. According to the lead researcher of the study, Dr. Mahée Gilbert-Ouimet, these results might have something to do with the fact that there is a “difference in paid and unpaid hours for men and women”. She also stated that we could say that women are working twice as much when it comes to the unpaid work, since they also have to take care of the family and the household chores. Taking all these factors into account, it is easy to see why the stress hormones in women could increase, which in turn would affect blood sugar levels.

How to lower the risk of diabetes

For those of you who are concerned about this, if you cannot reduce the number of hours you work every week, then don’t forget that there are always things you can do in order to lower the risk of getting diabetes. You always need to try to have a well-balanced life, by exercising more, drinking alcohol in moderation, giving up smoking, getting a good night’s sleep and keeping an eye on your diet. Also, if you are a woman, don’t forget to ask for some help when it comes to those household responsibilities.

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