Sweden: An Original Article Published in Diabetes Care Journal

An original article published in Diabetes Care Journal, American Diabetes Association, written by Jessica Edstorp from the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, has addressed the role of genetic susceptibility for latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA) and type 2 diabetes in mediating the relationship between tobacco use and the onset of LADA or type 2 diabetes.

They found no role of genetic susceptibility in increasing type 2 diabetes risk in persons with a history of tobacco use. However, LADA risk increases in individuals with genetic susceptibility and tobacco use.

Previous studies have mentioned the association between smoking and Swedish smokeless tobacco (snus) and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults with LADA and T2D. Considering this background, researchers investigated the role of genetic susceptibility to T2D, insulin resistance (IR), and insulin secretion (IS) using data from two population-based Scandinavian studies.

Study Results

• The RR of LADA was elevated in high IR-GRS heavy smokers with ≥15 pack-year having an RR of 2.01 and tobacco users with ≥15 box/pack-years having an RR of 2.59.
• Heavy smokers had additive interaction between T2D-GRS and smoking, snus, and total tobacco use.
• The additional risk posed by tobacco use did not differ based on Genetic Risk Score categories in T2D.

Concluding further, they said that the use of tobacco poses a higher risk of LADA in those with a genetic susceptibility to T2D and insulin resistance. Based on the findings of our study, we do not report the importance of genetic susceptibility in influencing the increased incidence of T2D tied to tobacco usage.

Further Reading

Incidence of LADA and Type 2 Diabetes in Relation to Tobacco Use and Genetic Susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes and Related Traits: Findings From a Swedish Case-Control Study and the Norwegian HUNT Study. Diabetes Care dc222284.