How smoking can worsen your health

Smoking is harmful for everyone, but it can be particularly dangerous for diabetics, who are already at risk of complications such as cardiovascular disease.

If you’re a diabetic who has smoked, no matter how long, you can improve your health by quitting. The American Diabetes Association offers this list of potential dangers for diabetics who smoke:

* Smoking decreases oxygen in the tissues, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

* Smoking increases cholesterol and blood pressure, which raises your risk of heart attack.

* Smoking constricts and damages blood vessels, which can make foot ulcers worse.

* Smoking increases your risk of damage to the nerves and kidneys.

* Smoking increases your risk of colds and other respiratory illnesses.

* Smoking triples your risk of death from cardiovascular disease, compared to diabetics who don’t smoke.

— HealthDay News