Hi there.
Does anybody know about a connection between smoking and high level of
blood glucose ?
My wife got a high glucose level and we suspect that her smoking has
to do with it.
thanks .beni.
28
Jun
smoking and blood glucose.
posted by admin in Uncategorized and have Comments (10)
10 Responses to “smoking and blood glucose.”
Beni…
Smoking will not cause your wife to have BG levels of a diabetic nature,
unless she has diabetes.
BUT if she smokes AND has diabetes it will make it harder to control…
and is implicated in many other pretty awful diabetic complications.
What makes you think your wife has a high glucose level?
What was the number that you thought was high?
Under what circumstances did she get it?
Jennifer
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
beni kafe wrote:
> Hi there.
> Does anybody know about a connection between smoking and high level of
> blood glucose ?
> My wife got a high glucose level and we suspect that her smoking has
> to do with it.
> thanks .beni.
On 3 Jul 2004 22:05:36 -0700, be…@elisra.com (beni kafe) wrote:
>Hi there.
>Does anybody know about a connection between smoking and high level of
>blood glucose ?
>My wife got a high glucose level and we suspect that her smoking has
>to do with it.
>thanks .beni.
I know of no connection between smoking and blood glucose levels,
although that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
You might want to consider the following though:
High blood glucose levels is generally an indicator of possible
diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes is likely to lead to heart problems.
Smoking is also likely to lead to heart problems.
Both together is usually a good time to check on your wife’s life
insurance coverage, before official diagnosis makes additional insurance
impossible.
That wasn’t meant as a joke. Your wife needs to do two things to help
lengthen her enjoyable life:
1. Give up smoking.
2. See a doctor and ask for a general health check, including blood
tests for diabetes and lipids (cholesterols).
Cheers, Alan, T2 d&e, Australia.
Remove weight and carbs to email.
—
Everything in Moderation – Except Laughter.
beni kafe wrote in message
<33753bc6.0407032105.24a1e…@posting.google.com>…
>Hi there.
>Does anybody know about a connection between smoking and high level of
>blood glucose ?
>My wife got a high glucose level and we suspect that her smoking has
>to do with it.
>thanks .beni.
Your question can be interpreted in at least two ways:
1. "My wife never seemed to have diabetes, we never noticed any high
blood sugars, but suddenly, she had a high blood sugar after smoking. Did
the smoking cause the high blood sugar? Maybe she doesn’t have diabetes
after all?"
My Answer: Diabetes causes high blood sugars. Smoking makes the
gruesome complications of diabetes "more gruesome".
2. "My wife has had diabetes for some time now. Recently, she had a
really high blood sugar, higher than what we normally see. Did smoking
cause that unusually high blood sugar?"
My Guess: Probably not though I don’t really know. My guess really
doesn’t count though. High blood sugar and smoking is a deadly
combination.
I don’t want to sound harsh and sarcastic, but if a diabetic must smoke,
then it’s time to start shopping around for a cheap wheelchair.
Regards
Old Al
Beni,
Smoking doesn’t cause diabetes, or change the blood sugar directly.
It is a horrible combination. Of the women that I take care of, that needed
coronary bypass surgery before age 35, all have been smokers.
That’s not a typo, before age thirty-five.
In my diabetes practice, I rarely see someone with lung cancer from
smoking. Unfortunately the vascular diseases…strokes, heart attacks, or
peripheral vascular disease…has ravaged them first.
Smoking can alter the appetite, and may impact the blood sugar that way on a
short term basis.
Also, the absorption of inhaled insulin (may be released next year) is
accelerated by smoking, so that lower doses are needed in smokers. Not sure
why this is, since it is the opposite of what you might expect.
You need to convince your wife to quit smoking ASAP.
She probably can’t stop being diabetic, but she can stop being a smoker.
She’ll need your help and understaning in doing it.
Cheers,
William C Biggs, MD
"beni kafe" <be…@elisra.com> wrote in message
news:33753bc6.0407032105.24a1e2f8@posting.google.com…
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> Hi there.
> Does anybody know about a connection between smoking and high level of
> blood glucose ?
> My wife got a high glucose level and we suspect that her smoking has
> to do with it.
> thanks .beni.
"oldal4865" <oldal4…@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:2kqcskF4vfsaU1@uni-berlin.de…
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> beni kafe wrote in message
> <33753bc6.0407032105.24a1e…@posting.google.com>…
> >Hi there.
> >Does anybody know about a connection between smoking and high level of
> >blood glucose ?
> >My wife got a high glucose level and we suspect that her smoking has
> >to do with it.
> >thanks .beni.
> Your question can be interpreted in at least two ways:
> 1. "My wife never seemed to have diabetes, we never noticed any high
> blood sugars, but suddenly, she had a high blood sugar after smoking.
Did
> the smoking cause the high blood sugar? Maybe she doesn’t have diabetes
> after all?"
> My Answer: Diabetes causes high blood sugars. Smoking makes the
> gruesome complications of diabetes "more gruesome".
> 2. "My wife has had diabetes for some time now. Recently, she had a
> really high blood sugar, higher than what we normally see. Did smoking
> cause that unusually high blood sugar?"
> My Guess: Probably not though I don’t really know. My guess really
> doesn’t count though. High blood sugar and smoking is a deadly
> combination.
> I don’t want to sound harsh and sarcastic, but if a diabetic must smoke,
> then it’s time to start shopping around for a cheap wheelchair.
> Regards
> Old Al
Interesting. I had got the impression from somewhere (possibly DSN) that
smoking increased IR. I’ll have to check with her tomorrow and see if there
are any references.
When I gave up though my bloods went bonkers for a week though this is more
down to changed eating habits and sudden homicidal tendencies….
This may sound more harsh but if a diabetic must smoke then are the odds not
greater that a coffin will be required even before the wheelchair – heart
attacks, strokes etc?
VBH
(New results and sig pending)
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
VBH wrote in message <2kr9ndF5g3t…@uni-berlin.de>…
>"oldal4865" <oldal4…@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>. . .(snip) . . .
>> My Answer: Diabetes causes high blood sugars. Smoking makes the
>> gruesome complications of diabetes "more gruesome".
>> 2. "My wife has had diabetes for some time now. Recently, she had
a
>> really high blood sugar, higher than what we normally see. Did smoking
>> cause that unusually high blood sugar?"
>> My Guess: Probably not though I don’t really know. My guess really
>> doesn’t count though. High blood sugar and smoking is a deadly
>> combination.
>> I don’t want to sound harsh and sarcastic, but if a diabetic must smoke,
>> then it’s time to start shopping around for a cheap wheelchair.
>> Regards
>> Old Al
>Interesting. I had got the impression from somewhere (possibly DSN) that
>smoking increased IR. I’ll have to check with her tomorrow and see if
there
>are any references.
>When I gave up though my bloods went bonkers for a week though this is more
>down to changed eating habits and sudden homicidal tendencies….
>This may sound more harsh but if a diabetic must smoke then are the odds
not
>greater that a coffin will be required even before the wheelchair – heart
>attacks, strokes etc?
>VBH
". . . .changed eating habits and sudden homicidal tendencies. . ."
Yes! ! ! Been there, done that. Half the reason for not smoking is to
not have to go there again. Shudder.
Bad news: When I stopped smoking in 1971, I discovered that much of the
world smells bad. I still it does and I don’t work in a Chemical Plant
anymore.
We have high risk for impaired circulation in the feet causing problems
leading to amputation. Smoking makes them worse.
One of my wife’s friends was in a auto accident and suffered extensive
damage to a foot. While recovering from surgery in the hospital, she
wheelchaired to a balcony and had a smoke (not legal anymore around here, b
tw). Her surgeon walked in a while later, smelled the smoke on her and
commented (with vigor) "I spent 5 hours putting that foot back together.
If you’re going to keep smoking, I can just lop it off at the ankle right
now."
That’s what I think of first in the smoking -circulation arena. I hadn’t
even thought of strokes and heart attacks.
Regards
Old Al
Regards
Old Al
VBH wrote:
> This may sound more harsh but if a diabetic must smoke then are the odds not
> greater that a coffin will be required even before the wheelchair – heart
> attacks, strokes etc?
> VBH
> (New results and sig pending)
Smoking and Diabetes are a horrible combination.
Smoking damages and constricts the blood vessels. This damage can
worsen foot ulcers and lead to blood vessel disease and leg and foot
infections.
Of people with diabetes who need amputations, 95 percent are smokers.
Smokers with diabetes are more likely to get neuropathy (nerve damage)
and kidney disease.
Smoking doubles your risk of getting limited joint mobility.
People with diabetes who smoke are three times as likely to die of
cardiovascular disease as are other people with diabetes.
Smoking increases your blood pressure.
Smoking raises your blood glucose level, making it harder to control your
diabetes.
Not fun!
Jennifer
"beni kafe" <be…@elisra.com> wrote in message
news:33753bc6.0407032105.24a1e2f8@posting.google.com…
> Hi there.
> Does anybody know about a connection between smoking and high level of
> blood glucose ?
> My wife got a high glucose level and we suspect that her smoking has
> to do with it.
> thanks .beni.
I don’t think smoking affects BG. How high was her reading?
–
Type 2
http://users.bestweb.net/~jbove/
Jennifer <jenniferNOS…@earthlink.net> wrote in message <news:2kpkppF4s4kmU1@uni-berlin.de>…
> Beni…
> Smoking will not cause your wife to have BG levels of a diabetic nature,
> unless she has diabetes.
> BUT if she smokes AND has diabetes it will make it harder to control…
> and is implicated in many other pretty awful diabetic complications.
> What makes you think your wife has a high glucose level?
> What was the number that you thought was high?
> Under what circumstances did she get it?
> Jennifer
My wife had an episode of 500BG which she got after a stressful time
and after a month of pneumonia with a lot of antibiotics.This blood
glucose went down to 150-200 in a month and with Insulin shots . but
since then either pills (glucophage and novonorm) or 24hours insulin
shots didn’t succeed and it is standing now on ~300.
Because she smokes a lot we suspected that maybe the smoking
interferes with the ability to control the BG. (she walks every day
and maintain a very strict diet for diabetes).
thanks for the information. beni.
beni kafe wrote in message
<33753bc6.0407042108.25e34…@posting.google.com>…
>> . . .(snip). . .
>My wife had an episode of 500BG which she got after a stressful time
>and after a month of pneumonia with a lot of antibiotics.This blood
>glucose went down to 150-200 in a month and with Insulin shots . but
>since then either pills (glucophage and novonorm) or 24hours insulin
>shots didn’t succeed and it is standing now on ~300.
>Because she smokes a lot we suspected that maybe the smoking
>interferes with the ability to control the BG. (she walks every day
>and maintain a very strict diet for diabetes).
>thanks for the information. beni.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by the slow destruction of the beta cells which
produce insulin. The reduced supply of insulin is a direct cause of T2
problems with blood sugar control.
Glucophage works to reduce Insulin Resistance and thus reduce the need for
insulin. The U.S. PDR recommends 1500 mg/day as the minimum maintenance
dose, 2500 mg/day as the maximum. Novonorm is a beta stimulator which
attempts to boost the output of insulin from the damaged beta cells.
IOW, both of them depend on the patient having a goodly population of
working beta cells.
However, when the disease kills enough cells, it becomes extraordinarily
difficult to control blood sugar with any of the oral meds, especially if
the patient is under unusual stress (chronic illness, chronic pain,
some prescription meds)
When that happens, the patient is a candidate for supplemental insulin.
The most common first insulin tried is a slowly-absorbing insulin such as
Lantus which helps cover their basal metabolism needs.
The basal represents about half of the patient’s total need. One rule of
thumb for the basal need would be about 0.25 units per day per kg body
weight for a T1 and somewhere from 0.5 to 1.0 units per day per kg body
weight for a T2.
One interesting feature of Lantus, the "24-hour" insulin shot, is that it
really isn’t a 24-hour shot. It’s activity varies from person to person
over the most common range of about 19 hours to 34 hours or so.
Folks whose body fat causes them to absorb Lantus in less than 24 hours can
see a rebound bG effect when it wears off if they have a low enough number
of working beta cells, Their liver will dump glucose when the level of
circulating basal insulin drops too low and can boost their bG into the 300
mg/dL range.
You defeat the rebound by splitting the daily Lantus into two smaller doses,
or injecting a second type of insulin to bridge the gap.
If none of the optimizing techniques work, i.e. metformin at 1500 – 2500
mg/day, Lantus at the highest dose feasible and/or split doses to cover
any "gap", then the patient is a candidate for the standard multiple daily
injection insulin regimes which we T1 use.
That means a combination regime of a slow-absorbing insulin as a basal,
and a fast-acting insulin as a bolus. One maximizes the basal dose by
some sort of trial and error mechanism and adds fast-acting insulin
injections before each meal. If the diabetic uses one of the modern
fast-insulins, he/she can also tweak a high post-meal bG with a small
correction shots between meals.
The modern fast-acting insulins are Humalog, Novolog, NovoRapid and
Apidra.
If your wife is experiencing sustained 300 mg/dL blood sugars, she is a
candidate for the basal-bolus, MDI regime. Actually, she was a candidate
months ago.
Glucose Toxicity is a condition caused by exposure to high blood sugar.
It generates temporary, increased Insulin Resistance and temporary,
suppressed insulin production. Thus, it makes bG control very difficult,
perhaps impossible without insulin injections.
A MDI insulin regime is the most powerful technique for knocking out Glucose
Toxicity. There is a chance that your wife is in Glucose Toxicity and
temporary MDI could bring her out of it.
I use a basal-bolus MDI regime. If I see a blood sugar anywhere near 300
mg/dL, I go into emergency mode and "knock it down" ASAP. For me, the
combination of a fast insulin such as Humalog and exercise can bring the bG
down to about 100 in about an hour. Skip the exercise and it takes two
hours. It could take a bit longer and a bit of tweaking (extra insulin
half-way) if I am sick.
Although nothing will really protect the veins and arteries of a T2 who
smokes, I have heard guesses that using the maximum dose of metformin and
perhaps extra vitamin C might help a bit.
Wild-eyed Guess: Nothing you have posted "denies" the possibility that
your wife is an adult-onset Type 1. If your wife has been "Diabetic" for
less than about 3 years, that possibility exists. Adult-onset T1 are
often difficult to diagnose and are thought to outnumber Juvenile-onset T1
by more than 2:1 If your wife is actually T1, sustained 300 mg/dL bG
means she needs an MDI regime.
Regards
Old Al