Study says E-cigarettes raise risk of diabetes

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

Vaping raises the risk of diabetes, according to new research.

E-cigarettes contain nicotine and sugars that fuel the metabolic illness and users were found to be more prone to pre-diabetes.

The condition is reversible but often leads to full-blown type 2 diabetes - linked to unhealthy lifestyles.

Lead investigator Professor Shyam Biswal, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said: "Our study demonstrated a clear association of pre-diabetes risk with the use of e-cigarettes.

"With both e-cigarette use and prevalence of pre-diabetes 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."

Cases soar by up to 40 percent among traditional cigarette smokers - increasing the odds of a stroke, heart attack or other cardiovascular diseases.

E-cigs come in a range of flavors and have been promoted by Public Health England as a safer alternative.

But experts have claimed the advice is "wrong and outdated."

The devices have been linked to 200 health problems - from brittle bone disease to pneumonia.

They have become particularly popular among young people - which remains a concern, say the US team.

The finding is based on an analysis of three years of annual national health survey data involving 600,000 people across the US.

More than 66,000 (9%) of participants were current e-cig users who self-reported pre-diabetes diagnoses.

Prof Biswal said: "In this representative sample of US adults, e-cigarette use was associated with greater odds of pre-diabetes compared to those who did not use e-cigarettes or traditional cigarettes."

They also had a higher prevalence of high-risk lifestyle factors and worse mental and physical health than non-smokers.

The researchers say it "heightens significant concerns" for public health officials.

Prof Biswal said: "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."

Pre-diabetes is reversible. The authors called for the targeting of e-cigs by governments and health organizations.

They also called for the education of young adults as a therapeutic lifestyle management strategy for the reduction of diabetes risk.

Prof Biswal said: "Our effort for smoking cessation has led to a decrease in smoking traditional cigarettes.

"With this information, it's time for us to ramp up our public health efforts to promote the cessation of e-cigarettes."

An estimated seven million people in the UK have prediabetes - an under-diagnosed condition rising among an increasingly younger population.

They are up to 15 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes - which affects more than 4 million Britons.

In the UK, more than one in three 15 year-olds have used e-cigs despite the fact it's illegal to sell them to under-18s.

It's estimated one in nine children aged 11 to 17 have tried them.

Last year another US team found vaping just once can damage cells - increasing the risk of cancer and other life threatening illnesses.

The study is in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.