Smoking not only increases the risk of cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, but is also closely associated with the development and progression of diabetes and its complications.
A study including more than 6,000 patients with diabetes showed that after adjusting for other factors that raise HbA1c, smoking itself increases HbA1c.Each additional 20 pack‑years of smoking was associated with a 0.12% increase in HbA1c.
Smoking significantly raises the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in people with diabetes, and accelerates the progression of kidney disease.
Quitting smoking can markedly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and all‑cause mortality, slow the progression of diabetic kidney disease, raise HDL‑cholesterol, and lower LDL‑cholesterol — all of which help prevent diabetic complications.
Therefore, people with diabetes should quit smoking and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke (passive smoking).