Know Your Vape

Is Vaping Unhealthy for People with Diabetes? Exploring the Link

By Know Your Vape · · Updated

Contents

Most vapes contain nicotine, and nicotine raises blood sugar. That matters for anyone living with diabetes.

Research on vaping and diabetes specifically is still limited. Much of what we know comes from studies of smoking and of nicotine in general.

Overview of Vaping and its Popularity

Vaping means inhaling an aerosol from an e-cigarette or vape pen. The device heats an e-liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals.

Many adults who smoke use vapes to replace cigarettes. Vaping exposes users to fewer harmful chemicals than smoking, but it is not risk-free. Non-smokers and anyone under 21 should not vape.

Introduction to Diabetes and its Impact on Health

Diabetes is a chronic condition marked by high blood sugar. In type 1 diabetes, the body makes little or no insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not use insulin well or does not make enough.

Poorly controlled diabetes can lead to heart disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, and vision loss. Lifestyle choices that affect blood sugar matter a great deal.

Understanding Vaping

E-liquids usually contain four main ingredients.

Propylene glycol (PG) is a common food additive that carries flavor and nicotine. The FDA considers it safe to eat, but that does not mean it is proven safe to inhale.

Vegetable glycerin (VG) comes from plant oils and makes thicker vapor. It is also safe in food, with the same caveat about inhaling.

Flavorings range from tobacco to fruit and dessert. Some flavoring chemicals, such as diacetyl, are linked to lung disease when inhaled.

Nicotine is highly addictive and is found in most vapes. Some products are sold without nicotine.

Sources: is vaping bad for you

Diabetes and Health Risks

How Diabetes Affects the Body

High blood sugar over time damages blood vessels. This raises the risk of heart disease and stroke.

It can also damage nerves (diabetic neuropathy), causing numbness, tingling, or pain, often in the feet. Damage to the kidneys' small blood vessels (diabetic nephropathy) is a leading cause of kidney failure.

Potential Health Complications

Diabetic retinopathy damages blood vessels in the eye and can lead to vision loss or blindness.

Diabetes can slow wound healing and raise the risk of infections, foot ulcers, and gum disease. It can also affect sexual health, including erectile dysfunction in men.

Good blood sugar control, along with regular care from your health care team, lowers the risk of these complications.

Internal Links:

Research and Studies

The evidence is much stronger for smoking than for vaping. People who smoke are 30% to 40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who don't, and risk rises with the amount smoked.

For vaping, large long-term studies on diabetes risk are lacking. Some observational studies have reported associations, but they cannot show that vaping causes diabetes.

Impact of Vaping on Blood Sugar Levels

The CDC says nicotine raises blood sugar levels and makes them harder to manage. People with diabetes who smoke often need more insulin to keep blood sugar in range.

Because most vapes deliver nicotine, it is reasonable to expect a similar effect on blood sugar. If you have diabetes and use nicotine in any form, tell your health care provider so they can factor it into your treatment.

Read more about the risks of vaping.

Potential Risks for People with Diabetes

Nicotine and Insulin Resistance

Insulin helps cells take in glucose from the blood. When cells respond poorly to insulin, blood sugar stays high.

Nicotine raises blood sugar and can make it harder to control. Lowering nicotine or quitting it altogether may make blood sugar easier to manage.

Lung Health and Diabetes

People with diabetes can be more vulnerable to infections such as pneumonia.

Whether vaping causes long-term lung disease in humans has not been established. The National Academies did find moderate evidence of more coughing and wheezing in adolescents who vape.

Other Complications

  • Cardiovascular health: Diabetes already raises heart disease risk. Nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure shortly after use, though long-term heart outcomes from vaping are not yet known.
  • Oral health: Diabetes raises the risk of gum disease. Some vapers report dry mouth, so good dental care matters.
  • General health risks: Vape aerosol can contain heavy metals, ultrafine particles, and other harmful chemicals, according to the CDC's overview of vaping health effects.

*[pneumonia]: https://knowyourvape.com/vaping-and-pneumonia *[bronchitis]: https://knowyourvape.com/vaping-and-bronchitis *[heart disease]: https://knowyourvape.com/vaping-and-heart-disease

Tips for People with Diabetes

Quitting Vaping

Quitting nicotine can help with blood sugar control. These steps can help:

  1. Set a quit date: Pick a specific day and plan for it.
  2. Get support: Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free coaching, and tell your health care provider.
  3. Ask about nicotine replacement therapy: Patches, gum, or lozenges can ease withdrawal. Ask your doctor how they fit with your diabetes care.
  4. Stay busy: Exercise, a walk, or a hobby can help you get through cravings.

Watch your blood sugar closely when you quit. Some people's readings or appetite change, and your medication may need adjusting.

Safer Alternatives

If you smoke and are not ready to quit nicotine, switching completely from cigarettes to vaping reduces exposure to many toxicants. Using both does not give that benefit.

  1. Lower your nicotine strength gradually: Less nicotine may mean less effect on blood sugar.
  2. Use legal, regulated products: The FDA keeps a list of authorized vaping products. Avoid THC cartridges and products from informal sources.
  3. Monitor your blood sugar: Keep a log and note any changes that line up with your nicotine use.
  4. Plan to stop eventually: The healthiest choice is to stop using nicotine altogether.

Seeking Professional Advice

Your doctor, endocrinologist, or diabetes educator can help you weigh the risks and build a quit plan. Bring up your nicotine use at every visit.

Conclusion

Nicotine raises blood sugar and can make diabetes harder to control. Smoking clearly raises type 2 diabetes risk, while research on vaping itself is still limited.

If you have diabetes, the best option is to quit nicotine with support from your health care team. Adults who smoke and cannot quit yet may lower some risks by switching completely, but vaping is not risk-free.

Sources

More in Vape Info