Here are 7 important reasons why combining diabetes and smoking is extremely harmful:
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Smoking damages blood circulation, increasing your risk of nerve damage (neuropathy). Poor circulation means your nerve endings—especially in your feet—don’t get enough nutrients, which can lead to sores, infections, and in severe cases, amputation.
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Smokers with diabetes are twice as likely to experience limited joint mobility, making everyday tasks like bending, climbing stairs, or lifting difficult and painful.
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Smoking raises your chances of developing kidney disease, a common diabetes complication.
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Smoking causes your blood pressure to rise, which significantly raises the risk of heart disease.
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Studies show that diabetics who smoke have three times the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to non-smokers.
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Smoking increases blood sugar levels, making diabetes harder to manage and causing more dramatic fluctuations that can lead to further complications.
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Smoking raises cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart attacks.
In short, smoking and even passive smoke exposure seriously undermine the ABCs of diabetes management:
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A1C: Your average blood glucose over 3 months
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B: Blood pressure, ideally below 130/80
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C: Cholesterol levels — LDL below 100, HDL above 40 for men and 50 for women, and triglycerides under 150
And, beyond all this, smoking carries the well-known risk of cancer.
Quitting smoking is one of the best steps you can take to protect your health if you have diabetes.
