Prevent Disease.com - Smoking Ups Risk of Death for Women with Diabetes



		Smoking Ups Risk of Death for Women with Diabetes Excerpt By Suzanne Rostler, Reuters Health NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Heavy smoking doubles the risk of death among women with type 2 diabetes, according to the results of a new study. Researchers report that women with diabetes who smoked at least 35 cigarettes a day were about twice as likely to die over 20 years compared with nonsmoking diabetic women. The risk increased with the number of cigarettes smoked daily, but declined when women quit smoking for 10 years or longer. The findings, published in the December issue of Diabetes Care, highlight the dangers of cigarette smoking for diabetic women, and indicate that physicians should strongly advise their patients to quit smoking. ``If you are a diabetic, you should never think of smoking, and if you are already smoking you should quit immediately,'' Dr. Wael K. Al-Delaimy, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. He said that doctors could counsel their diabetic patients about the dangers of smoking or offer smoking cessation and prevention programs. ``There is no single method of intervention that is unique to diabetic patients in terms of smoking cessation, but counseling with the aid of nicotine replacement therapy may provide the best combination,'' said Al-Delaimy, from Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. He added that the findings should also apply to men. Heart and kidney disease, which may be exacerbated by smoking, are the most common causes of death for individuals with diabetes. Few studies, however, have determined whether cigarette smoking is associated with a higher risk of death for these patients. The current study included more than 7,000 women with type 2 diabetes. Over 20 years, 727 women died, and death from heart disease and cancer was found to be significantly higher among women who smoked. Smoking can increase the risk of death in any number of ways, the report indicates. Long-term smoking has been shown to decrease levels of HDL (''good'') cholesterol and increase levels of fat in the blood, which can contribute to heart disease. Smoking may also contribute to nerve damage associated with diabetes, increase insulin resistance and raise the likelihood of developing blood clots, which can lead to stroke. In other findings, current smokers were more likely to drink alcohol compared with women who never smoked. Heavy smokers were also more likely to be taking medication to keep their blood sugar under control and less likely to be taking insulin. SOURCE: Diabetes Care 2001;24:2043-2048. Reference Source 89 For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".