Long Work Week May Up Diabetes Risk for Women

A Canadian study published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care suggests women who work 45 hours or more each week could be more likely to develop diabetes, reports Reuters Health . The investigators monitored 7,065 workers aged 35 and older in Ontario over 12 years. None had diabetes at the start of the study or during the first two years of follow-up. Approximately 8 percent of the women and 12 percent of the men developed diabetes by the conclusion of the study period, and work hours did not appear to influence diabetes risk for men. However, women working at least 45 hours a week were 63 percent more likely to develop diabetes than women working 35 to 40 hours weekly. "It is plausible that women work longer hours, when all the household chores and family responsibilities are taken into account," says Mahee Gilbert-Ouimet at the Institute for Work & Health. "For their part, men performing long work hours tend to hold more physically active jobs than women, get an important sense of identity through work, and are more likely to hold high-skilled and well-paid occupations." The team notes working more hours on the job and at home might make women more susceptible to chronic stress, inflammation, and hormonal changes that could potentially contribute to diabetes. "People who work longer hours may have less time to take care of themselves by eating healthy and exercising," says the University of California, San Francisco's Rita Hamad. "They may also be more stressed and get less sleep — all of these things might make someone more likely to get diabetes."