Smoking is bad for everyone, but it may be especially harmful for diabetics. A new study finds that the nicotine found in cigarette smoke is responsible for raising blood sugar and increasing the risk of dangerous diabetes complications. Although it was known that smokers with diabetes are at higher risk for complications than non-smokers with the disease, this is the first report showing that nicotine is to blame. Xiao-Chuan Liu, PhD, who presented the results at the 241st American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition, says that while there may also be concern about smoking cessation methods that also contain nicotine (like gum or patches), they are most often used for only brief periods. “If you’re a smoker and have diabetes, you should be concerned and make every effort to quit smoking,” says Dr. Liu.
