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Smoking and vaping

It’s well known that smoking causes many health problems, like heart and lung disease. When you have type 1 diabetes, smoking can make it harder to manage your blood glucose levels and increase your risk of complications.
Content last reviewed and updated: 01.10.2024

A person vaping

Does smoking affect type 1 diabetes?

Smoking cigarettes can lead to a number of heath conditions, whether you have type 1 diabetes or not.

But for people with type 1, nicotine can cause your blood glucose levels to rise and also affect the way your cells absorb insulin, which can make it difficult to manage your glucose levels.

Smoking can also lead to higher HbA1c levels, which can increase your risk of diabetes-related complications, like kidney disease, retinopathy, heart disease, nerve damage, stroke and sexual disfunction.

Can vaping affect type 1 diabetes?

There has not yet been much research into the impact of vaping or e cigarettes on type 1 diabetes. However, they contain nicotine, which has same effect as inhaling nicotine with a cigarette. Some research has shown that vaping can increase blood glucose levels.

Help with giving up smoking

Studies have shown that smokers with type 1 who give up have similar HbA1c levels to people who have never smoked. Giving up smoking is not easy, but quitting brings huge benefits for your type 1 management and overall health.

Getting support is crucial, so speak to your Diabetes Healthcare Team about how they can help. You can also visit the links below or speak to your GP:

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