Smoking cessation accompanied by substantial weight gain was associated with an increased short-term risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) but did not lessen the benefits of quitting smoking on reducing cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Researchers examined 3 cohort studies involving men and women in the US, identified those who had reported quitting smoking, and assessed changes in smoking status and body weight. They then estimated risks of T2D, death from CVD, and death from any cause among those who had reported quitting smoking, according to weight changes after smoking cessation. They found:

• The risk of T2D was higher among recent quitters than among current smokers.
• This risk peaked 5 to 7 years after quitting and then gradually decreased.
• The temporary increase in T2D risk was directly proportional to weight gain.
• Conversely, quitters did not have a temporary increase in mortality regardless of weight change after quitting.