Is smoking considered a statistically significant contributor to diabetes?
Posted in Definition on 12. Apr, 2010
The reason I ask is because it seems heavy metals can cause type two diabetes. Smoking tends to cause cadmium poisoning. It would seem that it should contribute to it, but smokers tend to be slimmer which wouldn’t correlate to the strong relationship between obesity and diabetes.
Does anyone know of any sources indicating smoking as a causation for diabetes?
Statistically speaking smokers are slimmer than the rest of the population by about 10 lbs. I know some huge smokers myself…that’s not the point.
Somewhere number 29 on the list of 200 medical illnesses. Not necessary that you’ll get all 200, but 3 or 4 are enough, don’t you agree? Thus, yes.
Peace.
P.S. Got diabetes II, 20 years after I stopped smoking. (±90/day).
As it happens I was just wondering about any link with smoking and diabetes the other day; I’m diabetic but I’ve never smoked.
Most stuff I found was about the dangers of smoking for diabetics – since they have an increased risk of heart disease etc.
This article from Diabetes UK is about research which found a possible link to mothers smoking during pregnancy and children developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Unfortunately it doesn’t give a link to the study
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/en/About_us/News_Landing_Page/2002/2807/
I think some of your assumptions are a bit off – particularly slim smokers. The smoking area outside my office is full of mostly chubby people. Most of the people I know who smoke are not thin.
I’ve read a lot of studies about diabetes (because my son has type 1) but have never seen a study showing a link between smoking and diabetes. It would be interesting to see the statistics.
thats a good question.
I know smoking can make diabetes worse, so it probably can tip some people over into diabetes. But i don’t think it is a major single cause of diabetes. There will have to be some other abnormalities.
There are several factors that contribute to being diabetic. and of course some factors weigh heavier on becoming diabetic compared to others.
Here is a link that might help:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/AN00548
Good luck!