Study Links E-Cigarette Use and Traditional Smoking to Higher Diabetes Risk

Study Links E-Cigarette Use and Traditional Smoking to Higher Diabetes Risk
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New research from the University of Georgia suggests that people who use e-cigarettes, traditional cigarettes or both face a greater likelihood of developing diabetes, ScienceDaily reported. The findings indicate that smokers show significantly higher rates of prediabetes and diabetes diagnoses compared with nonsmokers, raising concerns as vaping continues to grow in popularity.

Lead author Sulakshan Neupane, a doctoral researcher in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said the study challenges perceptions of e-cigarettes as a safer alternative, noting that their effects extend beyond lung health to overall metabolic function. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented rapid increases in e-cigarette use, particularly among younger populations—groups that may now face rising diabetes risks.

The research, based on more than 1.2 million responses from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, found that vaping alone was associated with a 7% increase in prediabetes risk. Smoking traditional cigarettes or cigars raised that risk by 15%. For individuals who both smoked and vaped, the likelihood of developing prediabetes rose to 28%, and risks of diabetes also increased.

The study highlighted disproportionately higher vulnerability among Hispanic, Black and Asian individuals, especially those in disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions or with existing health issues. Overweight or obese smokers and vapers faced even greater risks.

Regular exercise offered some protection, lowering prediabetes risk among smokers by 8%. The study was published in AJPM Focus and was co-authored by UGA professor Wojciech J. Florkowski and CDC Foundation researcher Chandra Dhakal.