Pipe smoking and diabetes?

[Benzadmiral]

Hey, all,

Just checked my latest lab numbers, and . . . I'm diabetic! Just barely, an A1C of 6.5, and I don't really have any symptoms, but I need to get to work. I'm only about 5-6 lbs. overweight. I'll jettison the chips and cookies and go to fruit and nuts instead; maybe my dr. can prescribe a med; and I'll up my exercise program.

But . . . what of pipe smoking? All the online advice I see pertains to cigarettes only. Of course I con't inhale the leaf smoke. But it is awfully coincidental that my numbers have gone from normal to borderline to "OMG!!!" in the last two years, as I've picked up the pipe again and have come close to a short pipe a day. I'll put it aside for a while anyway, till we see what's what.

Have any of you dealt with this? What has your doctor said (though I have a pretty good idea what any MD would say about any form of tobacco use)?

 

[luvmysuper]

Patient: Doc, I broke my finger!
Doctor: You really need to stop smoking!

There are plenty of non-smokers that get diabetes.
There are plenty of smokers that never do.
A 2019 study involving 5,786 people, 18% of the 2,606 adolescents — those aged 12–18 years — had prediabetes.
I doubt many of them were smokers.
Everything a person does has an influence on their overall being, but no one thing is causative.
Exercise, proper diet (including reducing processed carbs and sugar), and proper rest will do more for you than giving up an occasional pipe bowl.

 

[Columbo]

What is your family history? With diabetes, that is typically the biggest factor of all, and something you have little control over.

Type 2 diabetes, if that's what you have, is often controllable with diet and exercise. Sounds like you are fairly fit and on top of your diet. That is the typical course.

If it were me, I wouldn't give up the pipe. I find the relaxing effects better than any medical prescription as far as stress is concerned.

I tell my doctor I've been smoking a pipe since before he was born, and have told him about the Surgeon General reports on pipe smoking. My BP is perfect, and I have good cardio and pulmonary health. I have other serious issues that pipe smoking has absolutely nothing to do with. Other than losing some weight, my doctor is fine with my habits.

All doctors would rather their patients not smoked. All doctors would rather their patients avoid sugars and processed foods, too. All doctors would rather their patients be ten pounds lighter. All doctors would rather their patients not drink alcohol. A perfectly led life is not necessarily a happy life.

 

[Whisky]

I’m not a doctor so take this with a grain of salt. A1C is a great tool for getting an estimate of your BGL over the past 3 months but it’s not 100% accurate. If you indulged in more sweets in the 2 weeks leading up to test you can sometimes have a “false” higher number. If you really want to know what your BGL is get a glucometer. Check your sugar every morning before you eat/drink anything and keep a log to show your doctor. If you Really want to know what your sugar is check it when you wake up then before and 2 hours after each meal. Start a food log and see which foods are causing a spike. Watch out for fruit. Grapes especially are little sugar bombs.

I’ve had pts go from A1C’s of mid 7s to the high 5s by using exercise and a food log. I would stay away from the drugs as long as possible if you can.

 

[Columbo]

I’m not a doctor so take this with a grain of salt. A1C is a great tool for getting an estimate of your BGL over the past 3 months but it’s not 100% accurate. If you indulged in more sweets in the 2 weeks leading up to test you can sometimes have a “false” higher number. If you really want to know what your BGL is get a glucometer. Check your sugar every morning before you eat/drink anything and keep a log to show your doctor. If you Really want to know what your sugar is check it when you wake up them before and 2 hour after each meal. Start a food log and see which foods are causing a spike. Watch out for fruit. Grapes especially are little sugar bombs.

I’ve had pts go from A1C’s of mid 7s to the high 5s by using exercise and a food log. I would stay away from the drugs as long as possible if you can.

Everything you say makes very good sense. No disrespect to the medical community, but many younger doctors I've found tend to be predisposed to be pill dispensers. I don't like being a long term human trial subject for the pharma industry.

Some years ago, I tested borderline high on cholesterol, right after they lowered the threshold standards. The doctor wanted to put me on the then-usual medication ... which I learned put a tremendous load on the liver, and required regular blood tests to keep an eye on ... on top of a whole list of other possible "side effects" the medication carried.

No way. The side effects of the drug were worse than the condition, IMO.

It turned out I had been on an egg binge right before the test. I generally only eat a couple eggs at a time, 1-2x a week max, for breakfast. Often, I go weeks without an egg. I retested back on my regular diet a month or so later, and it was below the threshold.

For some conditions, the effects of the treatment can be worse than the consequences of just being slightly over some bright line test value. Just my opinion as a non-doctor.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Thanks, all,

Family history: Neither of my parents were diabetic, and while Mom smoked cigarettes, Dad quit years before and played tennis until two years before he died at age 71. My BP is controlled with a med (which, I've read, can sometimes fiddle with your A1C reading).

Yes, it's quite possible that number is off. My usual dessert after dinner has included a couple chocolate/peanut butter bars, not big ones, or a few vanilla wafers. Maybe I took in more than usual in the week or so before the test. Yesterday I bought some blackberries and strawberries at the store to go with Greek yogurt, all to replace my cookies &c. I'm not planning to eat vast quantities of either in any one day, now. But they've got to be better than the refined sugar, yes?

Walgreens and CVS sell these glucose testing devices? Do I need to stick a finger to test?

It's possible that, along with the sugar and other junk food intake, I've been smoking a bit too often. Looking at my posts here, I'm seeing a frequency of nearly every day in the last six months. Time, perhaps, to take it down to 1-2 x a week for a while!

 

[Whisky]

Do I need to stick a finger to test?

Buy a glucometer that is “alternate testing site” capable. This allows you to poke your forearm instead of your finger. Much fewer nerve endings in your forearm means less pain (not that the finger sticks are terrible.) if your doctor is willing to write you a prescription for one most ins companies will pay for them.

 

[Columbo]

Thanks, all,

Family history: Neither of my parents were diabetic, and while Mom smoked cigarettes, Dad quit years before and played tennis until two years before he died at age 71. My BP is controlled with a med (which, I've read, can sometimes fiddle with your A1C reading).

Yes, it's quite possible that number is off. My usual dessert after dinner has included a couple chocolate/peanut butter bars, not big ones, or a few vanilla wafers. Maybe I took in more than usual in the week or so before the test. Yesterday I bought some blackberries and strawberries at the store to go with Greek yogurt, all to replace my cookies &c. I'm not planning to eat vast quantities of either in any one day, now, but they've got to be better than the refined sugar, yes?

Walgreens and CVS sell these glucose testing devices? Do I need to stick a finger to test?

It's possible that, along with the sugar and other junk food intake, I've been smoking a bit too often. Looking at my posts here, I'm seeing a frequency of nearly every day in the last six months. Time, perhaps, to take it down to 1-2 x a week for a while!

Mrs. C takes a hypertension med. She complains about the side effects, but hers gets up there. If yours is not too high, try increasing your intake of celery, which naturally lowers BP slightly. Maybe not enough to avoid the hypertension meds completely, but every little bit helps.

As far as but one pipe a day, you certainly need to do what’s best for you. But that’s de minimus consumption in my book. The historic studies generally considered 3 bowls a day as the threshold amount for statistically significant analysis. I’m not aware of any connection between pipe smoking and diabetes, but I never bothered to look that hard. Again, you do what’s best for you.

So much of this is genetics. You can only do so much to change the basic trajectory. My father smoked unfiltered king size cigarettes like a steel mill, and drank like a fish, and still lived to just about 90. All his relatives that were nuns lived into their late 90s. Balance a healthy life with a happy one. A longer but miserable life seems a bad bargain to me … not saying that a life in a convent is a miserable one.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Mrs. C takes a hypertension med. She complains about the side effects, but hers gets up there. If yours is not too high, try increasing your intake of celery, which naturally lowers BP slightly. Maybe not enough to avoid the hypertension meds completely, but every little bit helps.

As far as but one pipe a day, you certainly need to do what’s best for you. But that’s de minimus consumption in my book. The historic studies generally considered 3 bowls a day as the threshold amount for statistically significant analysis. I’m not aware of any connection between pipe smoking and diabetes, but I never bothered to look that hard. Again, you do what’s best for you.

So much of this is genetics. You can only do so much to change the basic trajectory. My father smoked unfiltered king size cigarettes like a steel mill, and drank like a fish, and still lived to just about 90. All his relatives that were nuns lived into their late 90s. Balance a healthy life with a happy one. A longer but miserable life seems a bad bargain to me … not saying that a life in a convent is a miserable one.

Celery, eh? I make up a salad of lettuce, radishes, and green onions every week for lunch at work, garnished with pickles and pickle juice. Slices of celery sound like a good idea.

Yes, it is a genetic lottery. At that I'm much luckier than someone like my colleague's teen daughter, who was just diagnosed with Type 1 and has to stick needles in herself multiple times a day. . . .

 

[Columbo]

On the one pipe practice, it might be roughly analogous to the advice of one glass of red wine for the heart. The benefits of very light consumption may outweigh the negative element. Reducing stress certainly helps lower BP.

 

[nortac]

I don't believe smoking a pipe contributes to diabetes. However, both diabetes and nicotine contribute to circulatory problems and their effects could be cumulative. One can debate how much nicotine one absorbs through the oral mucosa vs. inhaling, but I try not to inhale and I get "nic sick" with stronger tobaccos. Supposedly, nicotine causes constriction of blood vessels that last for about 24 hrs. If one already had compromised circulation from diabetes, then a further constriction of the vessels from nicotine could be problematic. We must all weight the risks/benefits of everything we put in our bodies. This is not an anti-smoking rant by any means.

The A1C reflects what your average blood sugar is for the previous 3 months. If you "clean up your act" dietary wise for a week before getting your lab work done, you may get a normal blood sugar, but your A1C will still reflect that your average blood sugar was elevated for the previous 3 month period.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I don't believe smoking a pipe contributes to diabetes. However, both diabetes and nicotine contribute to circulatory problems and their effects could be cumulative. One can debate how much nicotine one absorbs through the oral mucosa vs. inhaling, but I try not to inhale and I get "nic sick" with stronger tobaccos. Supposedly, nicotine causes constriction of blood vessels that last for about 24 hrs. If one already had compromised circulation from diabetes, then a further constriction of the vessels from nicotine could be problematic. We must all weight the risks/benefits of everything we put in our bodies. This is not an anti-smoking rant by any means.

The A1C reflects what your average blood sugar is for the previous 3 months. If you "clean up your act" dietary wise for a week before getting your lab work done, you may get a normal blood sugar, but your A1C will still reflect that your average blood sugar was elevated for the previous 3 month period.

Good points. I too don't inhale and don't deal with stronger tobaccos, and I work out (walking/trotting, plus calisthenics and stretching) 3-4 times a week.

I'm modifying my diet, and I may try one of the supplements, berberine, to see if that can help.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Continuing this: Modifying my diet, now that I'm getting used to it, is not bad. (An aside: Are sunflower seeds, the jumbo roasted & salted ones from Walmart, supposed to taste like chewing salted cardboard?) I've allowed myself a pipe yesterday, and a small one of Early Morning Pipe Match in a Peterson 80-S bulldog.

 

[luvmysuper]

Are sunflower seeds, the jumbo roasted & salted ones from Walmart, supposed to taste like chewing salted cardboard?)

Yes. And every bit as healthy.
For my money, I'd go with unsalted.
Salt can wreak havoc with blood pressure and chemistry.

 

[Columbo]

Unroasted and unsalted almonds. Must be raw. Only a handful a day is enough.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Years ago, I recall, Planters or a similar company offered small sunflower seeds, lightly salted, in a jar like dry roasted peanuts. They were great. Didn't see them at Walmart this morning and bought these cardboard things by default. Are the tiny ones still available?

 

[DogLeg]

Yes, they are.

Amazon.com : sunflower seeds shelled - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sunflower+seeds+shelled

I often pick up a bulk bag at a local store, but Amazon is more convenient.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Yes, they are.

Amazon.com : sunflower seeds shelled - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sunflower+seeds+shelled

I often pick up a bulk bag at a local store, but Amazon is more convenient.

Ah, that's the difference -- shelled vs. unshelled! I got the latter, unfortunately. David's brand has been recommended to me, and their website says several of the local Walmarts have them.

 

[luvmysuper]

 

[NorthernSoul]

Hey, all,

Just checked my latest lab numbers, and . . . I'm diabetic! Just barely, an A1C of 6.5, and I don't really have any symptoms, but I need to get to work. I'm only about 5-6 lbs. overweight. I'll jettison the chips and cookies and go to fruit and nuts instead; maybe my dr. can prescribe a med; and I'll up my exercise program.

But . . . what of pipe smoking? All the online advice I see pertains to cigarettes only. Of course I con't inhale the leaf smoke. But it is awfully coincidental that my numbers have gone from normal to borderline to "OMG!!!" in the last two years, as I've picked up the pipe again and have come close to a short pipe a day. I'll put it aside for a while anyway, till we see what's what.

Have any of you dealt with this? What has your doctor said (though I have a pretty good idea what any MD would say about any form of tobacco use)?

I'd suggest you ask about having the A1C test repeated. A single test by itself may not be enough to diagnose this. If I'm understanding correctly, you aren't experiencing symptoms, at least not yet.

@nortac made some good points regarding circulatory problems, which is common for people with elevated blood sugar levels. Parts of the body with many small blood vessels can be particularly vulnerable (eyes, kidneys, feet, etc). You don't want to go there.

If you are having problems with blood sugar control, it may not necessarily have to progress into diabetes. Many people with this issue produce plenty of insulin, the problem is their body is not responding to it properly. This means it may be possible to manage the condition through lifestyle changes and avoid medications. There's lots of details around that, but the general idea is avoid a sedentary lifestyle, overweight and unhealthy diet.