- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
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Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. She is a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic and an assistant professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
The Aibonito, Puerto Rico, native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1994.
She is a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, the American Diabetes Association and The Endocrine Society.
Dr. Collazo-Clavell is medical editor for the Web site's diabetes content and the book "Mayo Clinic on Managing Diabetes." Her clinical interests include management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and nutritional disorders.
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Question
Diabetes: Do alcohol and tobacco use increase my risk?
Do alcohol and tobacco use increase the risk of diabetes?
Answer
from Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Yes, alcohol and tobacco use increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
While studies show that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) may actually lower the risk of diabetes, the opposite is true for people who drink greater amounts of alcohol. Heavy alcohol use can cause chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can impair its ability to secrete insulin and ultimately lead to diabetes.
Tobacco use can increase blood sugar levels and lead to insulin resistance. In addition, chemicals, such as nornicotine, found in tobacco may increase the risk of diabetes. In fact, heavy smokers — those who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day — more than triple their risk of developing diabetes.
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