Link Between E-cigarettes and Prediabetes

Risk of prediabetes is increased with use of e-cigarette as per a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier. Traditional cigarette smokers are 30% to 40% more likely than non-smokers to develop type 2 diabetes as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This may further increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerotic disorders, stroke, and peripheral vascular diseases.

However, the safer alternative, that is, the use of e-cigarettes is rising among younger population, which remains a public health concern.

The present study was a large, nationally representative survey of the US population that analyzed 2016–2018 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to determine the association between e-cigarette use and prediabetes.

“We were surprised by the findings associating prediabetes with e-cigarettes because they are touted as a safer alternative, which we now know is not the case. In the case of cigarette smoking, nicotine has a detrimental effect on insulin action, and it appears that e-cigarettes may also have the same effect. Our effort for smoking cessation has led to a decrease in smoking traditional cigarettes. With this information, it is time for us to ramp up our public health efforts to promote the cessation of e-cigarettes,” says lead investigator Shyam Biswal, PhD, department of environmental health and engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Source-Medindia