Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes appears to involve interaction between susceptible genetic backgrounds and environmental factors. It’s important to identify modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes, which may help reduce the risk of the disease. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between smoking and the risk of type 2 diabetes in women.

Methods: In case–control study included 168 cases with a newly confirmed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes during the one whole year and 336 controls which were free of the disease. A specifically designed questionnaire was used to collect information on possible risk factors of type 2 diabetes. Smoking was assessed according to: smoking habits, duration of smoking, number of cigarettes smoked per day, pack years, and smoking cessation. The odds ratios (OR), 95% CIs for type 2 diabetes were calculated by a conditional logistic regression.

Results: The cases had higher BMI and significantly lower education level, compared to the controls. Variables such as family history of diabetes, education, BMI, waist circumference, morning exercise, eating speed, cigarette smoking, occupational and marital statuses were retained in the models as confounders because their inclusion changed the value of the OR by more than 5% in any exposure category. After adjustment for possible confounders increased risk of type 2 diabetes was determined for those, whose smoked ten and more cigarettes per day (OR=2.83; 95% CI 1.04–7.71 vs non-smokers). It has also been defined an association between the disease and duration of smoking (OR=4.55; 95% CI 1.11–18.61 for 40 years or more smokers vs non-smokers) and those, whose smoking cessation is 19 years and less had higher risk for diabetes (OR=6.40; 95% CI 1.50–27.34 vs non-smokers).

Conclusion: Our data support a possible relationship between smoking and the increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women.