Study: Smokers With Diabetes Have Significantly Higher Mortality Risk

While it is well established that smoking can lead to lung cancer, the effects of diabetes on risk of lung cancer, other cancers, and other causes among smokers is less well established.

To further examine this relationship, researchers examined data from 53,454 the National Lung Screening Trial, a multicenter trial comparing low-dose helical CT with chest X-ray for early detection of lung cancer. They identified 5174 as having diabetes.
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Over the course of the study, there were 3936 deaths: 1021 from lung cancer and 826 from other cancers. After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, and pack-years of smoking, the researchers found that diabetes doubles the risk of all-cause mortality and non-lung cancer mortality among heavy smokers. Overall, there were 650 deaths (12.6%) among patients with diabetes and 3286 (6.8%) among those without diabetes.

The researchers noted that the next step is to better understand the underlying cause of this effect, but emphasized diabetes management and lung cancer screening as priorities for patients with diabetes who also smoke.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Snell-Bergeon J, Garg K, Chang S, Patel NU, Garg SK. Diabetes and mortality in the National Lung Screening Trial [presented at Radiological Society of North America 2016 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting]. November 27, 2016. Chicago IL. archive.rsna.org/2016/16008362.html Accessed November 29, 2016.