Acute effect of cigarette smoking on fasting serum glucose level in non-diabetic male smokers

ABSTRACT

In this study the acute effect of cigarette smoking on fasting serum glucose levels in a group of 202 non-diabetic male smokers aged 19 to 99 years [mean [standard deviation] 41.9 [16.1]] after an overnight fast and tobacco abstinence was examined. The serum glucose concentration before and after smoking a cigarette was measured. American king-size Winston cigarettes [each containing 1.2 mg nicotine] were used for the test. The mean [SD] serum glucose level before smoking was 89.7 [14.5] mg/dl compared to 91.1 [15.1] after smoking a cigarette [P<0.05]. Although a similar difference for light, moderate and heavy smokers was found, it was not statistically significant. The findings show that smoking cigarettes increased plasma glucose concentrations actively and may help to explain why smoking increases risk of ischaemic heart disease