prediabetes: about 13% did, compared to 9% of vapers.
But relative to people who’d never smoked or vaped, e-cigarette users had higher odds of the condition. Sole e-cigarette users — who had never smoked the conventional variety — were 54% more likely to say they’d been diagnosed with prediabetes.
The researchers arrived at that figure after accounting for some major factors that affect prediabetes risk — including age, obesity, exercise habits and education level.
That does not prove that vaping is the culprit, Biswal says. “But,” he adds, “this study certainly provides a real reason to be concerned.”
And that, Biswal notes, is largely because of the bigger context: Vaping has become popular among teenagers and young adults, at a time when prediabetes is also on the rise.
Expert Q&A: The Real Smoke Behind Vaping and Hookah
Smoking vs. e-cigarettes
“There is a real concern that there’s a perception among the younger population that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative [to smoking],” Biswal says. “But more and more evidence is piling up that e-cigarettes are not safe.”
Nor are e-cigarettes a proven way to kick the smoking habit.
Galiatsatos says smokers who want to quit can talk to their doctor about cessation medications that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.