Why is smoking even worse if you have diabetes or heart problems?
In these conditions, the blood flow to your heart, legs, kidneys, eyes and brain is already affected, which increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Other risks are slow-healing ulcers and diseased legs and toes that might require amputation. When you smoke, you double or treble those risks.
Heavy smokers with diabetes have roughly double the chance of death from cardiovascular causes compared with non-smoking diabetics. People smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day have a 50% higher chance, while exsmokers have a 10-30% increased chance, even 10 years after quitting.
