Smoking Aggravates Symptoms Of Diabetes Here’s How
Written by Ranita Ganguly|Updated : March 24, 2015 1:37 PM IST
Diabetes has emerged as a major threat over the past few decades and is still spreading at epidemic levels across the world. A number of factors are responsible for the dramatic rise in numbers. While our dietary habits exert great influence on the development of diabetes, lifestyle factors do have an influence too, most notably smoking. Experts are of the opinion that smoking is a very significant risk factor for diabetes. Here are a few facts that help establish the link between smoking and diabetes.
References:
Smoking Makes You More At Risk For Heart And Kidney Disease
Because smoking makes your immune system compromised and negatively affects the heart and circulatory systems, youll be at an even greater risk of developing heart-related health conditions. As you probably know, diabetics are already at risk for these types of conditions, so smoking just makes it worse.
How Will Quitting Smoking Affect My Diabetes
When you stop smoking, your liver slows the process of removing hormones and diabetes medications from the body. If the amount of insulin or diabetes drugs go up, blood sugar will go down.
If you have diabetes and stop smoking, you may need to test your blood sugars more frequently for a while to avoid dangerously low levels. Once your blood sugar levels stabilize, you can go back to regular testing patterns.
There are no concerns about using most quit-smoking medications, such as nicotine replacement therapy or bupropion, if you have diabetes. Since diabetes can lower kidney function, you should talk to your doctor if you want to use other medications to quit smoking. Get more information about quit-smoking medications.
You May Like: Ketones And Glucose In Urine
How Safe Are E
In the UK there are very strict safety and quality regulations for e-cigarettes. They are not completely risk-free and although the long-term effects are relatively unknown, leading organisations such as Public Health England, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners, have estimated that they are at least 95% less harmful. Theres also no evidence so far that smoking e-cigarettes are harmful to others, unlike smoking tobacco where second-hand smoking is very harmful to others health.
Does Smoking Cause Diabetes
Thereâs a really strong connection between cigarette smoking and T2D. Many studies point to a cause-effect relationship. But some experts believe that itâs hard to say for sure that smoking alone causes diabetes. Thatâs because there are a lot of other things at play.
Some other drivers of T2D include:
- Health problems, like high blood pressure
Also Check: Does High Glucose Mean Diabetes
Can Smoking Or Vaping Cause Diabetes
The cause-and-effect relationship between smoking and diabetes is complicated, as research studies have produced varying outcomes. According to the CDC and some research studies, smoking is associated with causing type 2 diabetes smokers are 30% to 40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who do not smoke.
That being said, other researchers suggest that a cause-and-effect link between smoking and diabetes cannot be confirmed, as many other factors such as diet, exercise, genetics, body fat distribution, and stress also contribute to the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes. This makes it more difficult to determine the precise root cause of diabetes.
There is certainly some association other poorer health behaviors of various kinds are not surprisingly associated with smoking, said Philip Home, emeritus professor of diabetes medicine at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. Home said that there is not enough evidence for a cause-and-effect link, adding that those who smoke may simply be more likely to have unhealthy lifestyle habits, possibly leading to poorer glucose management.
The Effects Of Smoking
Everyone knows smoking causes lung cancer, and more people die of lung cancer each year in the U.S. than any other type of cancer. But did you know that smoking can affect the health of your heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, muscles and joints, and more?
Those with diabetes are three times more likely to die of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack or stroke, but add in smoking and that risk multiplies.
Thats because smoking.
- Increases cholesterol levels and the levels of some other fats in your blood
- Damages and constricts blood vessels
- Increases blood pressure
- Smoking increases your blood sugar levels and decreases your bodys ability to use insulin, making it more difficult to control your Diabetes.
When blood vessels are constricted, the amount of blood circulating in arteries and veins is limited. This can lead to peripheral vascular disease, which can worsen foot ulcers and contribute to leg and foot infections.
In addition, smokers with diabetes are at increased risk of developing nerve damage , kidney disease , and eye disease .
Also Check: Blood Sugar Immediately After Eating
Smoking Causes Peripheral Neuropathy
Since smoking affects the nerves negatively and diabetes is already responsible for causing severe nerve damage, combining the two can be fatal. Smokers who suffer from diabetes are at risk of developing peripheral neuropathy much earlier than non-smoking diabetics. Peripheral neuropathy causes numbness, tingling, pain and coordination problems in the arms and legs.
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying The Development Of Altered Glucose Homeostasis In Smokers
To gain insight into the effects of smoking on peripheral insulin signaling, Bergman and colleagues analyzed skeletal muscle biopsy specimens from smokers and nonsmokers and found that smokers had increased Ser636 phosphorylation of IRS-1, a known inhibitory modification with negative effects on insulin sensitivity. Smokers also exhibited decreased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma , a transcription factor known to promote insulin sensitivity . A later study from this same group characterized the in vitro effects of nicotine on skeletal muscle cultures and showed that nicotine exposure resulted in increased IRS-1 Ser636 phosphorylation and activation of mTOR and MAPK signaling, while rapamycin-induced inhibition of mTOR was able to reverse nicotine-induced alterations in IRS-1 signaling .
You May Like: How Much Sugar A Day To Get Diabetes
Smoking Cessation For People With Diabetes
Abstinence from smoking will certainly produce specific benefits in patients with diabetes. This fact is reflected in the most recent guidelines on diabetes treatment which include smoking cessation as a key chapter. Current guidance highlights the importance of stopping smoking for patients with diabetes to achieve a better quality of life and to delay the onset and progression of diabetes complications.
The currently available smoking cessation therapies have been shown to double or even triple the dropout rates in controlled studies . A recent study in patients with DM yielded a smoking cessation rate of 11.1% at 6-months in those undergoing an intensive smoking cessation program . However, according to a survey by Diabetes UK, 64.1% of smokers with DM do not receive any assistance or advice to quit far too many. Another constraint to cessation treatment is the absence of a convincing demonstration of an effective cessation interventions in patients with DM . Further studies will be needed to provide clear evidence that which interventions can be valuable for these patients. As a consequence the smoking prevalence among patients with DM continues to be similar to that found in the general population with a significantly less marked decrease trend in patients with diabetes compared to the general population . These conditions mean that helping patients with diabetes to quit requires a greater commitment and the use of personalized anti-smoking strategies.
Impact Of Quitting Smoking On Diabetes Complications
The evidence supporting the position that quitting smoking can lower the risk of macrovascular complications among patients with diabetes is sound. We can be sure that quitting can break-up that dangerous liaison. On the other hand, the impact of smoking cessation on the risk of microvascular complications remains without clarity, a set of confusing relationships. Further prospective studies will be needed to document and quantify the decreasing of risk of complications in patients with diabetes who stop smoking.
Don’t Miss: Free Diabetic Test Strips Onetouch Ultra
Seven Reasons Why Smoking When You Diabetes Is Bad
Smoking causes many health problems. In fact, smoking can make a diabetic’s condition worse over time and can lead to complications like heart disease and kidney disease. There are many reasons why people with diabetes should quit smoking. Below you can find seven reason why smoking is bad and you should stop now. While you still can!
Smoking And Glycemic Control
The effect of smoking on glycemic control in people with diabetes is poorly studied with often contradictory results. Cigarette smoking worsens insulin-resistance in patients with diabetes consequently, quitting smoking should improve glycemic control. Yet, smoking cessation often results in worsened glycaemic control, possibly due to the weight gain that frequently occurs after smoking abstinence .
A Japanese study of 25 patients with diabetes who smoke indicated poorer glycemic control in those who quit compared to patients who continued to smoke . The English cohort study THIN also showed an association between quitting smoking and worse glycemic control in T2DM patients . The effects of continued smoking in the data from the Fukuoka Diabetes Registry and the Swedish National Diabetes Registry showed that HbA1c levels progressively increased with the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Notwithstanding other studies have not confirmed any association between smoking and glycemic control .
Don’t Miss: What Brand Of Glucose Meter Is Covered By Medicare 2020
How To Quit Smoking
Because smoking is such an addictive habit, many people find it difficult to quit, especially without the assistance of a smoking cessation product. There are currently two FDA-approved prescription medications intended to help people quit: Chantix and Zyban. Both these medications are taken orally, do not contain nicotine, and work by reducing the physical urge to smoke. According to the FDA, using one of these medications can double your chances of successfully quitting. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if either of these medications may help you.
Along with Chantix and Zyban, there are several nicotine-replacement products available over the counter, such as:
-
Nicotine patches: a patch you place on the surface of your skin that slowly releases a steady amount of nicotine into your body
-
Chewing gum: also referred to as nicotine gum, which can release a small dose of nicotine as you chew
-
Nicotine lozenges: dissolvable tablets taken orally
Stopping on your own can be tough. Having support from friends or family can help make it easier to quit. Reach out to a trusted ally, or if any friends or family members also smoke, consider quitting together and leaning on one another for support throughout the process.
What Is Type 2 Diabetes
There are two primary types of diabetes:
Individuals with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas for converting the glucose and carbohydrates that we eat into energy the body can use.3 Though it has been referred to in the past as juvenile diabetes, this type of diabetes can develop at any age, in any race, and is not related to body weight. Approximately 5 percent of diabetics have Type 1 diabetes these individuals must use insulin therapy.4
Individuals with Type 2 diabetes have an abnormality in the way their bodies use insulin that causes blood sugaror blood glucoseto be too high. People with Type 2 diabetes may have adequate or even elevated levels of insulin, but their bodies cannot use it properly.5 Type 2 diabeteswhich accounts for more than 90 percent of all diabetes cases6is a serious condition. In the past, Type 2 diabetes was thought to be a disease primarily seen in adults and acquired later in life. However, in the last 20 years, there has been an increase in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. The rise of Type 2 diabetes among youth has been linked to childhood obesity. In 2016, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.7
Don’t Miss: Best Snacks For Low Blood Sugar
Does Smoking Put Me At A Higher Risk Of Developing Diabetes
It has been established that there is a clear link between smoking and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Nicotine is one of the many chemicals that are found in cigarettes and is what makes smoking so addictive. When you smoke, nicotine changes the chemical processes in the cells inside your body so they do not respond to insulin. This is known as insulin resistance.
Insulin is the hormone that allows your body to use sugar from the food we eat for energy and stops your blood glucose level from getting too high. If your body starts to become resistant to insulin, then your blood glucose levels will rise and put you at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Other Forms Of Cannabis
Cannabis is available in a variety of forms, from an unprocessed versionoften called weedto the oils that can be used to infuse food or beverages.
CBD oil is extracted from the cannabis plant. It doesnt have the strong psychoactive effects that marijuana has and is commonly used for medicinal purposes.
CBD oils and sprays also show potential for being able to help with some of the complications of diabetes. One study found that in some patients who are resistant to other treatments for diabetic nerve pain, using a topical CBD spray to treat pain showed improvements in response to CBD spray treatment compared to the placebo group.
Also Check: What Is A1c In Relation To Diabetes
Is Vaping Better For You Than Smoking
The previously mentioned study linking vaping to prediabetes is the result of initial research on the long-term health effects of vaping. Because e-cigarettes have existed for less than two decades, more research is required to properly assess the long-term impact of vaping on individual and population health.
Vaping may be of some use, particularly for former smokers. Vaping is still a pointless habit, but there is some evidence for use in weaning people off cigarettes, said Home. That is particularly useful because of the cancer-inducing effects of smoke products, likely absent with standard vaping.
Still, vaping has been known to cause other health issues such as vaping-associated lung injuries, and most e-cigarettes still contain highly addictive levels of nicotine and other unknown substances. Additionally, the sharp increase in e-cigarette use is primarily among youth, who are often introduced to vaping without any prior habit of cigarette smoking.
The bottom line is that both smoking and vaping are unhealthy habits that can have negative effects for people with diabetes. The following techniques and products can help you quit once and for all and improve your diabetes management.
How Does Smoking Affect My Kidneys When I Have Diabetes
Raised blood glucose in diabetes can also damage the blood vessels in your kidneys. About 1 in 3 people with diabetes will end up with some kidney damage. Diabetic kidney disease is also called diabetic nephropathy.If you smoke, you further increase your risk of kidney disease as it also damages your blood vessel walls.
Recommended Reading: What Does Diabetes Do To Your Heart
Diabetics Who Quit Smoking May Have Trouble Controlling Blood Sugar
By Lisa Rapaport, Reuters Health
5 Min Read
– Although smoking increases the risk of diabetes and quitting has numerous health benefits, diabetics who quit may have temporary difficulty controlling their symptoms, a British study finds.
Researchers reviewed medical records for 10,692 adult smokers with diabetes in the UK and found that smoking cessation led to an uptick in blood sugar levels that lasted three years and was not caused by weight gain.
We know that smoking increases the risk of developing diabetes so when people stop smoking we would expect things to immediately improve however, we found that things get a little worse in terms of glycemic control before they get better, lead author Dr. Deborah Lycett, of the faculty of health and life sciences at Coventry University in the U.K., said by email.
Worldwide, nearly one in 10 adults had diabetes in 2014, and the disease will be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030, according to the World Health Organization.
Most of these people have type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity and aging and happens when the body cant properly use or make enough of the hormone insulin to convert blood sugar into energy. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to nerve damage, amputations, blindness, heart disease and strokes.
In the long term, blood sugar levels gradually decreased. By three years, the diabetics who quit smoking had blood sugar levels similar to the people who kept smoking.
Can Smoking Cause Diabetes
Evidence supporting an increased risk for T2DM in smokers has been accumulating for over 20 years. In 1997, Kawakami et al. investigated the effects of smoking on the incidence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in a cohort of 2312 Japanese males. After controlling for other known risk factors for NIDDM, a proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that those who were currently smoking 1625 cigarettes per day had a 3.27 times higher risk of developing NIDDM during the follow-up period than never smokers . In 2007, a first meta-analysis of 25 prospective cohort studies showed a dose-dependent association between smoking and incident T2DM the relative risk for incident disease of 1.61 in smokers of20 cigarettes per day compared to non-smokers, decreases to 1.29 and 1.23 in smokers of< 20 cigarettes a day and former-smokers, respectively. In 2015, a second meta-analysis of 88 prospective cohort studies , confirmed a significant association between smoking and T2DM risk, with a RR of 1.37 in smokers and 1.14 in former smokers compared to never smokers . Moreover, a clear doseresponse relationship was demonstrated in the analyses with the level of cumulative exposure to cigarette smoke over time . The authors estimated that at least 25 million cases of T2DM worldwide could be directly attributable to cigarette smoking alone.
Recommended Reading: If My Blood Sugar Is High Do I Have Diabetes