By Lee Hyo-sik
Non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke for more than four hours a day are nearly two times more likely to develop diabetes, compared to those who are not, according to a health study conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wednesday.
By studying a group of persons sharing particular statistical or demographic characteristics for a certain period of time, the center investigated the correlation between environmental tobacco smoke and type-2 diabetes for the first time in Korea.
As part of a large-scale health study project, called the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), which was launched in 2001, the center examined residents in Ansan and Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, for six years, and found that exposure to second hand smoke increases the risk of diabetes.
The KoGES focuses on determining the causes of cancer and other chronic diseases inflicting a large number of Koreans.
“A dose-response relationship was confirmed as the more people are exposed to secondhand smoke, the more likely they develop diabetes, The study results will be published in the January edition of the Annals of Epidemiology,” a center official said.
According to the research, if people inhale environmental tobacco smoke for less than one hour a day, it is 1.34 times more likely for them to suffer from the fatal illness.
Those exposed to secondhand smoke between two and four hours, the risk increases by 1.44 times. If the exposure lasts more than four hours, the risk goes up further by 1.96 times.
“Diabetes is the fifth largest cause of death for Koreans, with 19.6 out of every 100,000 Koreans dying from the illness. Among those over 30, one in every 10 people live with the illness. Despite smoking bans in offices and other public places by law, many smokers continue to smoke indoors, negatively affecting the health of non-smokers,” the official said.
If Korea can reduce secondhand smoking, not only diabetes, but also cancer and respiratory diseases will be more effectively prevented, saving trillions of won in medical costs, he said.