E-Cigarette Use May Increase Risk of Prediabetes
E-cigarettes are considered less harmful than traditional cigarettes and many smokers have replaced their traditional cigarettes with them. However, there are still dangers associated with this popular alternative. A new study finds that one of those dangers could be an increased risk of prediabetes.
A recent data analysis reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine investigated the link between e-cigarettes and prediabetes. Researchers conducted the study to determine if there was a similar risk to that of traditional cigarettes. CDC data shows that smokers have a 30-40% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non-smokers. This new analysis determined there may be similar issues with e-cigarettes.
Dr. Shyam Biswal, lead investigator from the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says, “Our study demonstrated a clear association of prediabetes risk with the use of e-cigarettes. With both e-cigarette use and prevalence of prediabetes dramatically on the rise in the past decade, our discovery that e-cigarettes carry a similar risk to traditional cigarettes with respect to diabetes is important for understanding and treating vulnerable individuals.”
To determine the risk, the team looked at data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a national health survey of American adults with information on health outcomes, health-related risk behaviors, preventive services, and chronic medical conditions. They used data from just over 600,000 Americans who responded between 2016 to 2018.
The team said their sample was representative of the American public, with a respondent group that was 50.4% female, 67.7% non-Hispanic white, 12.2% non-Hispanic Black, 5% Hispanic, and 28.6% age 35 or older.
Researchers found that more than 66,000 of the respondents reported current e-cigarette use and a prediabetes diagnosis. The team also discovered that e-cigarette users had a greater risk of prediabetes than those who did not smoke either type of cigarette.
Researchers were somewhat surprised by what they found, though they say there is a likely reason behind it.
Dr. Biswal says, “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.”
There is good news for e-cigarette users who have found themselves in this situation. Prediabetes can be reversed with lifestyle changes. Among them may be a reduction in e-cigarette use. The team says the findings also show that it may be beneficial to educate young adults on this link.
