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Cigarettes and Diabetes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 21% of U.S. adults smoked cigarettes in 2008. The American Diabetes Association reports that about 8% of U.S. adults were diabetics in 2007.

  1. Smoking Cessation and Diabetes Risk

    • According to a study published in the "Annals of Internal Medicine," quitting smoking raises the risk of type 2 diabetes. The higher risk is caused by weight gain after giving up cigarettes. However, the risk was highest within 3 years after quitting and declined to no risk after 10 years.

    Cardiovascular Risk

    • Diabetics who smoke cigarettes carry eleven times the risk for having a stroke or heart attack as people who don't smoke or have diabetes.

    Insulin

    • Cigarette smoking makes it harder for the body's cells to use insulin, the chemical that lowers blood sugar after a meal.

    Circulation

    • Diabetic smokers have twice the risk of circulatory problems such as nerve damage, infection and slow-healing sores.

    Dental and Kidney Disease

    • Being a smoker and a diabetic increases the risk of kidney and dental disease.

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