Every smoker should take steps to quit smoking. But those with diabetes have one more reason for kicking the butt.
People with diabetes tend to metabolize nicotine faster than non-diabetics. As a result, diabetics are more likely to smoke more cigarettes for longer periods of time.
Smoking tobacco is a preventable cause of cancer. Unfortunately, nicotine, the chief chemical in tobacco smoke, is so addictive that people often fail to give up their addiction. Even worse, many ex-smokers start smoking once again after a gap as long as ten years.
What Do We Already Know About the Link Between Smoking and Type 2 Diabetes?
Cigarette smoking is one of the risk factors for insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says smoking causes diabetes. According to the CDC, smokers are 30–40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those who do not smoke.
Furthermore, diabetics who smoke have a marked difficulty controlling their blood glucose levels. Consequently, they may also face problems with insulin dosing. The cumulative effect is they tend to have more complications. Note that the number of cigarettes smoked per day directly influences the risk of the disease.
What Did We Just Learn About Smoking and Type 2 Diabetes?
A month earlier, a new study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research revealed something that should be a warning sign for diabetics who smoke.
According to the study, type 2 diabetics could have faster nicotine metabolism. That said, their body demands more nicotine as the available nicotine is converted into some other molecules by the enzymes. This might lead to a situation where diabetics would need to smoke more cigarettes to get their dose of nicotine.
Ultimately, this increases the lifetime burden of nicotine addiction as well as the risk of complications.
What You Can Do
If you have diabetes and also smoke, talk to your doctor to find out the right smoking cessation therapy that best meets your needs.
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[expand title=”References“]
- CDC. URL Link. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- Nicotine and Tobacco Research. URL Link. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
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