People with type 1 diabetes who smoke are more than twice as likely to have an episode of severe hypoglycemia, or very low blood sugar, as those who have never smoked, according to a new study.
Hypoglycemia can cause mental confusion, or even coma or seizures in severe instances. “Smoking, through its effect on hormone regulation and insulin clearance, has been hypothesized to result in severe hypoglycemia,” Dr. Ronald Klein, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and colleagues write in the journal Diabetes Care.