Smoking Linked to Diabetes

A new study suggests a potential link between smoking cigarettes and type 2 diabetes.

The researchers analyzed medical records from 1,236,443 healthy Korean adults over a 14-year period. At the start of the study, 59 percent of men were smokers, and 21 percent were former smokers, while four percent of women were smokers and two percent were former smokers.

After adjusting for other risk factors for diabetes, such as age, weight and physical activity levels, the researchers found that the risk of developing diabetes increased with smoking intensity. Men who smoked were 30-55 percent more likely to receive treatment for diabetes than those who never smoked. They were also 50-79 percent more likely to be hospitalized for diabetes complications than non-smokers. Men who quit smoking were 10 percent more likely to receive diabetes treatment than those who never smoked.

Similar results were observed in women. Female smokers were about 25-33 percent more likely to receive treatment for diabetes and 43-65 percent more likely to be hospitalized for diabetes complications than non-smokers. Women who quit smoking were 19 percent more likely to receive diabetes treatment and 31 percent more likely to be hospitalized than those who never smoked.

It has been suggested that smoking may increase the risk of diabetes by causing widespread inflammation in the body. However, more research is needed to fully understand this potential relationship.

References
1.Jee SH, Foong AW, Hur NW, et al. Smoking and Risk for Diabetes Incidence and Mortality in Korean Men and Women. Diabetes Care. 2010 Sep 7. View Abstract
2.Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. http://www.naturalstandard.com/

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