In the Short Term, Quitting Smoking Increases Type 2 Diabetes Risk Due to Weight Gain

From the Annals of Internal Medicine:

Cigarette smoking is a well-established risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Therefore, quitting smoking should reduce the risk.

However, smoking cessation can be associated with weight gain, and being overweight is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

To test the hypothesis that smoking cessation increases short term diabetes risk, researchers conducted a prospective cohort study of 10,892 middle-aged adults who did not have diabetes. In 9 years of follow-up, patients who smoked had a higher risk for diabetes than those who never smoked. Smokers who recently quit had higher short-term risk for diabetes than ex-smokers and continuing smokers for about 3 years. This excess risk disappeared by 12 years.

Researchers conclude that smokers who quit should receive advice about avoiding weight gain and about diabetes prevention and early detection.

References:
Smoking, Smoking Cessation, and Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cohort Study. Annals of Internal Medicine, 5 January 2010 Issue.
Image source: Wikipedia, Tomasz Sienicki, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License.