Smoking raises risk of type 2 diabetes significantly, especially for heavy smokers

In a new study conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, findings presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Vienna indicated a significant association between smoking and the risk of developing various subtypes of type 2 diabetes. The research analyzed data from 3,325 participants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 3,897 healthy individuals in Norway and Sweden. The results demonstrated that individuals who had ever smoked are more than twice as likely to develop severe insulin-resistant diabetes compared to never-smokers. The study further revealed that ever-smokers had an increased risk of 20% for severe insulin-dependent diabetes, 29% for mild obesity-related diabetes, and 27% for mild age-related diabetes. Heavy smokers, defined as those smoking 20 cigarettes a day for 15 years, faced even graver threats, with risks nearly 2.4 times higher for severe insulin-resistant diabetes, and increased risks for other diabetes subtypes—52% for severe insulin-dependent diabetes, 57% for mild obesity-related diabetes, and 45% for mild age-related diabetes. This alarming data underscores that smoking is responsible for over a third of insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes cases. The lead researcher, Emmy Keysendal, emphasized that the findings highlight smoking cessation as crucial in preventing type 2 diabetes, especially targeting those with a high genetic predisposition to insulin secretion impairment. Additionally, this genetic information may help identify individuals who would benefit from enhanced support in quitting smoking. The implications of this research are profound, as they suggest that smoking not only contributes to the onset of diabetes but also complicates management for those already affected. Such results call for widespread awareness and health initiatives to address smoking as a major preventable risk factor for diabetes, encouraging public health campaigns focused on smoking cessation and education about its long-term effects on health.