01/22/2019 / By Michelle Simmons
Cigarette smoking is dangerous for the health of healthy people. It is even more dangerous for people with diabetes as it increases the risk of heart disease and premature death. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine has found that avoiding the use of tobacco products could significantly cut the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy’s Institute of Medicine looked at the data of nearly 300,000 patients with Type 2 diabetes enrolled in the Swedish National Diabetes Register in the period of 1998 to 2014. These patients have been compared to up to five times as many genders and age-matched control subjects from the general population.
The results of the study revealed that some patients with Type 2 diabetes are 10 times more likely to develop heart attack, heart failure, and stroke, and five times more likely to die early compared to the general population. On the other hand, other people with Type 2 diabetes have no more than 10 percent increased risk of premature death, heart attack, and stroke compared to the general population. Their risk factors are determined by how well their condition is managed and by not smoking. These factors include blood pressure, long-term blood glucose, lipid statuses such as fats and fat-like substances in the blood, renal function, and smoking.
The results also suggested that younger people with Type 2 diabetes are at greater risk. The risk of complications, particularly heart failure, is the highest among those patients below 55 years old. This highlights the importance of monitoring and treating risk factors in younger people with Type 2 diabetes.
These results suggested that individuals with Type 2 diabetes with all risk factors within therapeutic target range had a significantly decreased risk of premature death, heart attack, and stroke. The most dangerous factor for heart attack and stroke was elevated blood sugar levels, but smoking was seen as the most important risk factor for premature death. The results also indicated that the risks could be significantly reduced, and in some cases may even be eliminated.
Having diabetes already increases the risk of many health problems. Smoking can make you more vulnerable to even more diseases and increases the risk of the following complications in diabetics:
Quitting smoking can lower your risk of complications from diabetes and limit the damage to your organs, blood vessels, and nerves. In turn, this can help you live a longer and healthier life.
Read more news stories and studies on the health hazards of smoking by going to StopSmoking.news.
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Tagged Under: cardiovascular disease, cigarettes, diabetes, diabetics, disease risk, nicotine, smoking, stopsmoking, Tobacco, Type 2 Diabetes