Tobacco.org

Smoking increases risk for MI and death in Type 2 diabetics 

Study results show that smoking significantly increases the risk for myocardial infarction (MI) and death in individuals with Type 2 diabetes, a group already at higher risk for cardiovascular disease than the general population.

“Smoking is one of the classical risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) besides hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, and contributes substantially to the global burden of disease,” say Peter Nillson (Lund University, Malm�, Sweden) and colleagues.

Researchers from the Swedish National Diabetes Register carried out a longitudinal study of 13,087 men and women with Type 2 diabetes, who had no previous MI or stroke at baseline, to assess the effect of smoking versus nonsmoking on risk for CVD.

The participants were aged 30–74 years at baseline and were followed up for an average period of 5.7 years.

Writing in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, the team reports that the adjusted risks for fatal or nonfatal MI, stroke, and total mortality were 70%, 30%, and 80% higher for participants who smoked (n=2150) than for those who did not smoke.

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