According to a new study, passive smoking could lead to diabetes. The study says it increases the chance of getting type 2 diabetes by 22%, whereas smoking adds to it by an average of 37% as compared to non-smokers.

If one smokes more cigarettes a day, the risk of getting the disease increases accordingly; it increases by 57% for heavy smokers, 34% for moderate smokers and 21% for light smokers. It has been found in the study that for those who quit the habit, chances of getting the disease decrease over time as compared to smoker, as in former smokers the risk rose by 14%.

It has been found that in case of new ex-smokers, over the first five years, the risk was 54%; however, decreased to 18% following five years and 11% after 10 years. The new study found that almost 11.7% diabetes cases in males and 2.4% in females, roughly 27·8 million cases, are as a result of smoking, if smoking is causally associated with diabetes.

Scientists say that cigarette health warnings should also comprise diabetes as a potential illness. According to Professor Naveed Sattar at University of Glasgow, "Doctors should mention that, as well as being a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and many cancers, smoking should also be regarded as a risk factor for diabetes - albeit with a small effect relative to, for example, lung cancer". The study has been published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.