Quitting smoking ‘may raise diabetes risk’

Giving up smoking may increase the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes, research has shown.

Researchers claim those who quit smoking are at higher risk in the short-term due to the extra weight people typically put on after giving up cigarettes.

The authors of the study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, warn though that their results should not be used as an excuse to continue smoking.

Study leader Hsin-Chieh Yeh from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said: “The message is: Don’t even start to smoke.

“If you smoke, give it up. That’s the right thing to do. But people have to also watch their weight.”

In the study, researchers found that people who quit smoking have a 70 per cent increased risk of developing type two diabetes in the first six years without cigarettes, compared to people who never smoked.

The risk was highest in the first three years after quitting and returned to normal again after ten years.

The authors of the study have called for physicians to keep these findings in mind when they are consulting with patients who are giving up cigarettes, especially the heaviest smokers.