Nicotine as Main Culprit in Diabetes Complications Among Smokers

If you're a smoker and have diabetes, you should be concerned and make every effort to quit smoking.

Scientists report the first strong evidence implicating nicotine as the main culprit responsible for persistently elevated blood sugar levels -- and the resulting increased risk of serious health complications -- in people who have diabetes and smoke.

Nicotine caused levels of HbA1c to rise by as much as 34 percent. The higher the nicotine levels, the more HbA1c is produced

In a presentation at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Xiao-Chuan Liu, Ph.D., said that nicotine caused levels of HbA1c to rise by as much as 34 percent. The higher the nicotine levels, the more HbA1c is produced

The number of diabetics in our country has increased by almost 80 percent in the last 10 years from 1996-2006 to 1.4 million adults above the age of 30. 260 million more worldwide have diabetes. Doctors have known for years that smoking increases the risk of developing complications. Those complications -- which include heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure, and nerve damage -- are why diabetes is a leading cause of death in the Malaysia. Good control of blood sugar levels through lifestyle modifications like weight loss, changes in diet and increased physical activity is the key to preventing complications.

So, what about nicotine gum, nicotine lozenges, patches, electronic cigarettes, and other stop-smoking products?

Liu pointed out that people tend to use those products for only brief periods, and that the benefits of permanently stopping smoking may outweigh any risk from temporary elevations in HbA1c. However, the study may raise concern over the long term use of such products, he added.

Source:

241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) News Release on March 27, 2011

The Star Online January 11, 2011

HbA1c : The gold standard for monitoring long-term blood sugar levels in people with diabetes is the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) blood test. Used in conjunction with daily home blood sugar monitoring, the HbA1c test reveals the average amount of sugar in the blood during the last several weeks. High test results mean that diabetes is not well controlled and there is an increased risk of complications.