A new study revealed that smoking e-cigarettes may increase the risk of developing prediabetes, and that smoking both traditional and electronic cigarettes may further increase this risk through dual use, according to Science Alert.

Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal and usually occurs before type 2 diabetes. Although prediabetes is reversible, it indicates that some damage to the heart, kidneys, and nerves may have already begun.

It is established that smokers are more likely to develop diabetes, but the effects of e-cigarettes on blood sugar remain unclear.

To clarify this, health economist Sulakshan Neupane from the University of Georgia led a team that analyzed over 1.2 million data points collected via phone surveys conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Using this data, Neupane and his team explored the relationship between prediabetes or diabetes and e-cigarette use, either alone or combined with combustible cigarettes.

People who relied solely on nicotine from e-cigarettes were 7% more likely to develop prediabetes compared to non-smokers, equivalent to 7,000 additional cases per million e-cigarette users in the U.S.

In comparison, those who exclusively smoked traditional nicotine products such as cigarettes and cigars were 15% more likely to develop prediabetes compared to non-smokers.

Those who used both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes were 28% more likely to develop prediabetes compared to non-smokers.

Using e-cigarettes alone increases the likelihood of prediabetes, while dual use adds an additional risk.

This study highlights the potential compounded harm from using both product types.

The team also found that these “dual users” were 9% more likely to develop full diabetes than non-smokers, a higher risk than those who only smoked traditional cigarettes, who had a 7% increased risk compared to non-smokers.

In an era when e-cigarettes are marketed as a “safer” alternative to smoking, this suggests they may carry a hidden risk and could indirectly contribute to long-term health problems such as prediabetes and diabetes.

The study also found that e-cigarette users who were overweight or obese were more susceptible to prediabetes compared to users with lower weight.