To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: CHEST: Diabetes Complicates Smoking Cessation Efforts URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/23D86A.htm Doctor's Guide November 3, 2003
By Peggy Peck ORLANDO, FL -- November 3, 2003 -- Data collected by a multidisciplinary smoking cessation program in the New York metropolitan area suggest that while diabetics typically are eager to quit smoking, they have much lower cessation rates than non-diabetics. "Diabetics often say they are concerned about health problems associated with cigarettes and many diabetics characterize cigarettes as 'controlling' their lives, yet diabetics appear to have more difficulty quitting," said lead investigator Virginia Reichert, NP, director of the Center for Tobacco Control, North Short-Long Island Jewish Health System, Great Neck, New York. Ms. Reichert said that just over 50% of the enrollees in the smoking cessation program are successful, but the success rate drops to 40% for diabetics. She presented the study October 29th here at CHEST 2003, the Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Chest Physicians. . The investigators collected data on 522 participants, 72 of them with endocrine disorders. Of these, there were 35 diabetics and 37 with thyroid disorders, consisting of both hyper- and hypothyroidism. Enrollees with endocrine disorders generally had more co-morbidity, and among the diabetics, 75% had co-morbidity. Diabetics were also more likely to be referred the program by a physician. Both diabetic patients and those with thyroid disorders had tried to quit smoking an average of three times before starting the program. Diabetic participants had a significantly heavier smoking history, with 50.1 pack-years compared with 33.6 pack-years for thyroid patients. Eighty percent of both groups reported "general health concerns" as a reason for smoking and nearly 40% reported that cigarettes "controlled their lives," but Ms. Reichert said that diabetic patients scored higher on both of these measures than did those with thyroid disorders. Quit rates were 56.3% for those with thyroid disorders compared with 40% for diabetic patients. Overall quit rate for the entire cohort was 50.2%. Asked to explain the apparent difficulty faced by diabetics, Ms. Reichert said she was unsure why this occurred but she speculated that hyperglycemia might be a factor. David M. Mannino, MD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, who was not involved in the study, suggested that weight gain could be a factor. Typically, former smokers do gain weight after they stop smoking, which could be a major concern for diabetics, who often are battling obesity. Ms. Reichert said she and her colleagues have no data about weight gain. She said, however, that diabetics often have problems with stress management, so "stress could be an issue that influences smoking cessation." [Study title: Endocrine Disorders Amongst a Cohort of Patients Undergoing Smoking Cessation. Poster 421] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.