Apart from cancer and AIDS, thousands of Kenyans are lying on hospital beds because they are suffering from diabetes.

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Diabetes is a health disease that is majorly caused by high levels of sugar in the body.

Clinical nutritionist Dorcas Obure who is based in Nairobi has hinted out that cigarette smokers are at high risk of contracting the deadly disease.

Speaking on NTV on Wednesday, Obure pointed out that smokers are 40 per cent more likely to develop diabetes than non-smokers.

“Some chemicals in cigarettes generate insulin resistance hormones and as a result increase inflammation in the body. Besides, chemicals found in cigarette smoke normally injure body cells and cause swelling which eventually damages body cells: it simply makes one prone to all types of diabetic problems,” she noted.

Obure also pointed out that smokers have more problems controlling their blood sugar levels.

“I want to state here without any fear of contradiction that cigarette has no benefit to the body at all: smokers with diabetes have a high risk of getting heart and kidney failure, poor blood flow, damaged nerves among other serious body complications including blindness," she warned.

According to the clinical nutritionist, cigarette smoke has free radicals that damage cells leading to immune system problems, changes in lipid profiles, respiratory infections and heart attack.