The more cigarettes smokers consumed, the more their odds of getting diabetes increased.
If they quit, ex-smokers initially faced an even higher risk of diabetes, but as more years pass without cigarette use their odds of getting the disease gradually diminished, the analysis found.
"The diabetes risk remains high in the recent quitters," said lead study author An Pan, of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. Weight gain linked to smoking cessation may be at least partly to blame for the heightened diabetes risk in those first months after giving up cigarettes, Pan added.
"However, the diabetes risk is reduced substantially after five years," Pan said by email. "The long-term benefits - including benefits for other diseases like cancer and heart disease - clearly outweigh the short-term higher risk."
More about:
