Work stress/anxiety and the onset of T2 diabetes - is there a link?

[IronLioness]

Hiya folks,
Newly diagnosed and trying to figure some stuff out but I've read that stress and anxiety can be antagonists to the onset of T2, surely this can't be true?!?

 

[Deleted Account]

I am not sure about diabetes exactly.
However, I am of the strong belief that if your body is busy fighting stress, it has less energy left to fight viruses, bugs, etc.
This is why I am always more likely to get ill soon after a busy time.

You will also find that when you are stressed, your BG is likely to rise as your liver releases glucose to give you the energy to fight the stress.
So, it is not uncommon for diabetes to be diagnosed during a stressful period.

 

[Rachox]

I don’t know about stress being associated with the onset of diabetes, but I do know that when I’m stressed my blood sugars run higher.

 

[Alison Campbell]

Work set us on mandatory dealing with stress training and stress hormones are definitely linked to type 2 add incomfort eating/lack of time to prep healthy food, poor sleep patterns, lack of time for exercise and this is a recipe for type 2 and other metabolic conditions.
There are studies that show higher rates of type 2 in night shift workers but pinning down what exactly is the cause is difficult as so many links to other lifestyle factors.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hiya folks,
Newly diagnosed and trying to figure some stuff out but I've read that stress and anxiety can be antagonists to the onset of T2, surely this can't be true?!?

Stress makes your adrenocortical gland (I think that's the name anyway) make extra "stress hormones". It used to be super-useful when we still had to run to get away from sabretooth tigers, but we have so many stress-triggers now that are absolutely not solved just by running... From a demanding boss to kids that drive you up the wall. Far as I understood it, the stress hormone gives a message to your liver to dump sugar so you have enough energy to flee. In work, school or at home, there's no fleeing, and the duration of the stress is looooong in duration, rather than just a quick run and it's over... But the cortisone's giving the trigger signal anyway, and keeps doing that as long as it thinks it needs to. So your bloodsugars go up because your liver is being told to dump glucose. Which isn't good.

This is also why prednison (a corticosteroid, just like what's given as a topical cream for eczema etc) will give your BS a rise. It's the same hormone.

 

[IronLioness]

I am not sure about diabetes exactly.
However, I am of the strong belief that if your body is busy fighting stress, it has less energy left to fight viruses, bugs, etc.
This is why I am always more likely to get ill soon after a busy time.

You will also find that when you are stressed, your BG is likely to rise as your liver releases glucose to give you the energy to fight the stress.
So, it is not uncommon for diabetes to be diagnosed during a stressful period.

Yep, this is exactly me. I've just finished my last major work project, planning from March and since then the stress and anxiety has completely ramped up - and my diagnosis came last week when onsite with work colleagues. The few weeks beforehand, the stress and anxiety escalated and I've read over the past few days that it can be the antagonist to Diabetes, along with other elements. This blew my mind! Definitely a wake up call to look after my physical and mental health better - reduce the anxiety, look after myself, feed the body to fuel it.

 

[IronLioness]

Stress makes your adrenocortical gland (I think that's the name anyway) make extra "stress hormones". It used to be super-useful when we still had to run to get away from sabretooth tigers, but we have so many stress-triggers now that are absolutely not solved just by running... From a demanding boss to kids that drive you up the wall. Far as I understood it, the stress hormone gives a message to your liver to dump sugar so you have enough energy to flee. In work, school or at home, there's no fleeing, and the duration of the stress is looooong in duration, rather than just a quick run and it's over... But the cortisone's giving the trigger signal anyway, and keeps doing that as long as it thinks it needs to. So your bloodsugars go up because your liver is being told to dump glucose. Which isn't good.

This is also why prednison (a corticosteroid, just like what's given as a topical cream for eczema etc) will give your BS a rise. It's the same hormone.

Interesting information, thanks Jo

 

[ziggy_w]

Hiya folks,
Newly diagnosed and trying to figure some stuff out but I've read that stress and anxiety can be antagonists to the onset of T2, surely this can't be true?!?

Hi @IronLioness,

I am convinced that based on the research that stress as well of lack of sleep increases insulin resistance, which when it becomes chronic can lead to the onset of T2.

One specific study (I am not really sure I can find the link anymore) showed that women who worked 45 hrs (instead of the regular 40 hrs) per weak, had a 67% increased chance of developing T2. Another study prevented young men from sleeping (I don't quite remember, if they slept little or not at all) and found that they became for insulin-resistant.

As others, like @JoKalsbeek and @Alison Campbell, above have pointed out, it probably has to do with increased stress hormones, especially cortisol.

We probably can't say how important the role of stress is in explaining the onset of T2 (as compared to diet for example or maybe, as some newer research seems to suggest, the number of adipose cells we are equipped with), but it does seem to play a role.

 

[IronLioness]

Hi @IronLioness,

I am convinced that based on the research that stress as well of lack of sleep increases insulin resistance, which when it becomes chronic can lead to the onset of T2.

One specific study (I am not really sure I can find the link anymore) showed that women who worked 45 hrs (instead of the regular 40 hrs) per weak, had a 67% increased chance of developing T2. Another study prevented young men from sleeping (I don't quite remember, if they slept little or not at all) and found that they became for insulin-resistant.

As others, like @JoKalsbeek and @Alison Campbell, above have pointed out, it probably has to do with increased stress hormones, especially cortisol.

We probably can't say how important the role of stress is in explaining the onset of T2 (as compared to diet for example or maybe, as some newer research seems to suggest, the number of adipose cells we are equipped with), but it does seem to play a role.

Thanks Ziggy. I find this really interesting, initial thinking from me was because from March I've seen work situational stress increase ten fold, I reduced exercise as I was doing 16hr days from March until now, then 3 weeks ago my body completely shut down after a particularly intense anxiety/stressful period, I thought it was maybe food poisoning, but it didn't make sense, or rather, the symptoms didn't. It lasted two weeks, extreme tiredness and fatigue, higher passing of water, increased hunger, then in the third week (last week) I was diagnosed. Without doubt, other contributing factors will have aided the onset but the timeline of consistent stress-to-diagnosis I find interesting. I think, as you and the ladies have said in regards to the cortisol impact, it can be a contributing factor, I just never dreamt that you can literally make yourself ill from it. I guess the body works in mysterious ways, but when it decides you need to look after it better, boy oh boy, does it tell ya, eh! I wish I'd paid more attention to it sooner. Interesting subject for sure.