Smoking cigarettes is exceptionally damaging to health and is a major risk factor for heart disease, poor skin health, oral health, breathing issues, and all cancers.
Interestingly, smoking is also associated with diabetes, as it is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes and exacerbates diabetes complications. This has been recently alerted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), working in tandem with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the University of Newcastle. Their joint brief revealed that giving up cigarettes can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30–40%.
Smoking Causes Diabetes
The World Heart Foundation (WHF) states that 537 million people, one in 10 adults are currently living with diabetes, and this number is predicted to rise to 780 million by 2045. The WHF shared that as per statistical reports, diabetics are two to three times more likely to develop a cardiovascular disease, which is anyway exacerbated by regular smoking.
IDF estimates that type 2 diabetes accounts for over 95% of all diabetes cases, even though it is preventable in all cases. ‘Quitting smoking not only reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes but also substantially improves the management and reduces the risk of diabetes complications,’ stated the brief.
This is because, according to scientific evidence and research, smoking influences our body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, and increases the risk of diabetes-related complications like heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and wound healing, a significant complication of diabetes that often results in lower limb amputations.
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Type-2 Diabetes Management
Commenting on the brief, Prof Akhtar Hussain, President, IDF, explained, “We strongly encourage people to stop smoking to reduce their risk of diabetes and, if they have diabetes, help avoid complications. We call on governments to introduce policy measures that will discourage people from smoking and remove tobacco smoke from all public spaces.”
Her comments were supported by Dr Ruediger Krech, Director, Health Promotion, WHO, who said, “Health professionals play a vital role in motivating and guiding individuals with type 2 diabetes in their journey to quit tobacco. Simultaneously, governments must take the crucial step of ensuring all indoor public places, workplaces and public transport are completely smoke-free. These interventions are essential safeguards against the onset and progression of this and many other chronic diseases.”
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The joint three-way brief is a necessary reminder of the perils of smoking. From causing major life-threatening disorders like heart attack, emphysema, and cancer, smoking also causes chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes that can seriously impact your quality of life an further add to the burden and risk of early death.