Nicotine raises blood sugar levels

• May 4, 2024

The cigars harm the health of who smoke , but the nicotine they contain could be deadly for those who have diabetes, says the portal Health Day.

The research found that nicotine elevates blood sugar levels , and that the more nicotine was present in the body, the greater the sugar level in the blood. High levels of blood sugar are associated with an increased risk of complications from diabetes.

The researchers placed equal amounts of glucose in samples of Red blood cells . They added different levels of nicotine to each sample for one or two days. Then, they did a test of the hemoglobin levels A1c to measure the percentage of red blood cells that contained glucose.

When a person has diabetes, the cells in their body can not get the glucose they need, either because your body produces too little or no insulin. Which results in an excess of glucose in the blood , which is circulating in the blood through the red blood cells. The level of A1c in people with diabetes It can be very high and cause complications.

The study showed that nicotine It raised the sugar levels in the samples.

"The nicotine It is a toxic substance, "says Dr. Xiao-Chuan Liu, author of the study. "It is important that the public knows and that smokers know it. It's not just the Cigarette smoke. If you think you can use a replacement nicotine indefinitely there is also a risk, and the chances of having complications will be much greater "he warned.

Experts pointed out that it is okay to use replacement products nicotine for one or two months, but using it for a longer period of time can lead to health risks, especially in people with diabetes.

The investigation is considered preliminary until it is published by a scientific journal that submits it for review.