The Dangers of Smoking in Patients with Diabetes

Exposure to cigarette smoke, whether through firsthand smoking or secondhand smoke, is harmful to health, especially for people living with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Studies have found that smokers have approximately a 30–40% higher risk

The Dangers of Smoking in Patients with Diabetes

Exposure to cigarette smoke, whether through firsthand smoking or secondhand smoke, is harmful to health, especially for people living with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Studies have shown that smokers are about 30–40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-smokers. In other words, the more you smoke, the greater the risk.

 

Smoking Increases the Risk of Diabetes

     According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes caused more than 87,000 deaths in 2019, making it the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. It is also estimated that up to 9,000 diabetes-related deaths each year are linked to smoking.

     Chemicals and toxins in cigarettes cause inflammation in the body’s cells, which reduces the effectiveness of insulin. In addition, when these toxic substances interact with oxygen in the body, they contribute to oxidative stress, a condition in which there is an excessive imbalance of free radicals in the body. When the body remains under this condition for a long time, it may eventually lead to the development of diabetes. Furthermore, smokers also tend to have more abdominal fat, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, even in people who are not obese or do not have a BMI above the normal range.

 

 

Smokers with diabetes face an even greater risk of complications.

     Smoking makes diabetes harder to control. The more nicotine a person receives from cigarettes, the less responsive the body’s cells become to insulin. As a result, blood sugar levels rise. People with diabetes who smoke may therefore need higher doses of insulin to control their blood sugar. This can have serious effects on overall health and also increases the risk of various complications, including the following

 

 - Heart disease: Smoking increases the level of bad cholesterol and lowers the level of good cholesterol in the body. Over time, high cholesterol can lead to coronary artery disease.

 - High blood pressure: People with diabetes who smoke are at greater risk of blood vessel damage caused by inflammation. Inflammation in the blood vessels can cause the vessel walls to stiffen, which may lead to high blood pressure.

 - Kidney disease: If a person with diabetes smokes, they are more likely to develop protein leakage in the urine, which can eventually lead to kidney failure.

 - Poor circulation to the extremities: Smoking damages the small blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the extremities, especially the legs and feet. This increases the risk of wounds becoming infected easily, healing slowly, and may eventually lead to leg or foot amputation in patients with diabetes.

 - : Inflammation caused by smoking not only damages the small blood vessels, but can also damage the nerves. This may result in pain, numbness, tingling, or a pins-and-needles sensation.
 

However, quitting smoking does not cure diabetes or restore the body to perfect health as it was before the illness, because diabetes is a chronic disease that causes inflammation and degeneration, leading to abnormalities in various body systems. Even so, if a patient is able to stop smoking, diabetes can become easier to control, the disease may remain more stable, and the patient can enjoy a better quality of life.

 

 

Source : 

MedPark Hospital

**Translated and compiled by ArokaGO Content Team