Does Exposure to Secondhand Smoking Increase the Risk of Diabetes?

A new study poses a warning to smokers and non-smokers alike.

New findings from a recent study published in the journal Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology further affirms the dangers of smoking -- but more importantly, it zooms in on how exposure to secondhand smoking increases the risk of diabetes.

To gather data, an international team pulled together 88 studies on smoking risk and Type 2 diabetes in order to conduct a meta-analysis, cross comparing the data from over 6 million subjects. The researchers discovered that current smokers had about 1.4 times the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes as opposed to non-smokers, BBC reports.

Science World Report also reveals that, as opposed to subjects who never smoked, those who currently do increase their risk of acquiring Type 2 diabetes by up to 37 percent. Shockingly, the same website also reports that those who breathe in secondhand smoke have a 22 percent risk -- notably higher than former smokers who only have 14 percent.

Remarkably, while the computed risk of diabetes increased for former smokers to about 1.5 times after quitting, it fell approximately 1.2 times after five years of getting rid of the habit.

BBC reported professor Naveed Sattar of the University of Glasgow commented on the research, urging physicians to tell patients that smoking is a risk factor for diabetes. "They should mention that, as well as being a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and many cancers, smoking should also be regarded as a risk factor for diabetes (albeit with a small effect relative to, for example, lung cancer)," Sattar said.

In support, co-author Frank Hu reiterated his colleague's statement, adding, "Cigarette smoking should be considered as a key modifiable risk factor for diabetes. Public health efforts to reduce smoking will have a substantial impact on the global burden of type 2 diabetes," according to Science World Report.

The researchers estimate that 12 percent of global diabetes cases in men and 2 percent in women might be due to cigarette smoking -- that is, if a link is to be found. Although the findings augment the evidence of a link between smoking and Type 2 diabetes, the researchers admit that the study lacks the necessary evidence to prove that smoking directly causes diabetes.

"Despite the global efforts to combat the tobacco epidemic, cigarette use remains the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide," said An Pan, the primary author of the study and professor of epidemiology at School of Public Health.

"This study underscores the importance of implementing and enforcing the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The smoke-free policies can provide protections for non-smokers and may lead to increased successful cessation in smokers," Pan added.

You can access the complete study here.