Smoking and Its Relationship with Diabetes

There is almost unanimous agreement, even among smokers themselves, that smoking is highly harmful to health. Its damaging effects are clearly felt by smokers and have been scientifically proven without any doubt.
Smoking is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. It also significantly contributes to heart attacks and angina (chest pain). The severity of smoking’s harm is further confirmed by the fact that tobacco companies themselves acknowledge these risks and are required to place explicit health warnings on their products.
If these are the effects of smoking on healthy individuals, what about its effects on patients with diabetes?

Smoking and Diabetes Complications
Diabetes is already a major risk factor for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Smoking greatly increases this risk in diabetic patients compared to non-smokers.
Smoking also significantly increases the risk of peripheral vascular disease, particularly in the arteries of the legs and feet. This may lead to serious complications such as gangrene and even limb amputation.
Therefore, complications of diabetes affecting the heart, blood vessels, and eyes are much more severe in smokers compared to non-smokers.

Passive Smoking
A passive smoker is a person who inhales smoke emitted by another smoker in the same environment. The harmful effects of passive smoking can be equal to, and sometimes even greater than, those experienced by active smokers.
Therefore, you should ensure that smokers do not expose you to harmful secondhand smoke in your environment.

How to Quit Smoking
Always remember that smoking is a habit, not a true addiction. Overcoming bad habits requires strong willpower.
Make a sincere decision to protect the health that God has given you by avoiding anything that harms it. Stay away from places associated with smoking, and avoid friends who encourage this harmful habit until your willpower becomes stronger and your desire to protect your health overcomes the habit.