Quitting smoking…

...associated weight gain carries diabetes risk

A US study has suggested that giving up smoking sharply increases the risk of developing  type 2 diabetes, because those who had quit smoking tended to put on weight. However, it is important to note (as the John Hopkins team stress) that smoking itself is a well-known risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Smoking also increases the risk of developing other diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke. In light of the dangers smoking can pose to health, the Annals of Internal Medicine study emphasised that the findings should not be used as an excuse to carry on smoking.

As researcher Jessica Yeh said: ‘If you smoke, give it up. That’s the right thing to do.’ She advised that if people did quit, they may also have to ‘watch their weight’ to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is particularly important because, if quitters avoided developing the condition for 10 years, then their long-term risk returned to normal. However, if people continued smoking, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes was increased by 30% compared with non-smokers. As Natasha Marsland of charity Diabetes UK advised, ‘On no account should people use the theoretical results of this study as an excuse not to give up smoking.’

Source: BBC News Online, 5 January 2010.

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