Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use and the Onset of Type 2 Diabetes Among Inner-city Minority Patients

Background: We examined the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use and their relation to the age of onset of type 2 diabetes among inner-city minority diabetic patients who sought routine care at medical clinics in south central Los Angeles.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to sample 392 diabetic patients. Consecutive patients from seven different primary care clinics were interviewed to determine their alcohol, tobacco, and drug use histories and the age of onset of diabetes.

Results: The study sample was 61% Hispanic and 64% female and had a mean age of 53 years. Seventy-one diabetic patients (18%) reported that they recently consumed alcohol. Sixty-nine patients (17%) reported smoking within 30 days of their interview. Thirty-eight diabetic patients reported a history of regular illicit drug use. Multiple regression analysis showed that diabetic patients who used alcohol, illicit drugs, or combined substances (alcohol and illicit drugs), but not tobacco alone, reported an earlier onset of type 2 diabetes.

Conclusions: This hypothesis-generating study suggests that alcohol and illicit drugs, when used alone or in combination, might be associated with an earlier onset of type 2 diabetes. Additional research, however, is required to evaluate further these preliminary findings.