Diabetes is already a widespread health issue in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 40.1 million Americans are living with the condition. People with diabetes face a higher chance of developing complications such as heart disease, kidney disease and nerve damage. Because diabetes affects more than 12 percent of Americans and is a lifelong condition, treatment and management create a substantial financial burden.

The study also notes that tobacco use remains one of the most significant preventable causes of poor health outcomes. Reducing behaviors such as smoking and electronic cigarette use could help slow the growing diabetes epidemic. This may be especially important for men, who use tobacco products more frequently than women.

Researchers Identify Metabolic Changes in Offspring

“When male mice consumed nicotine in their drinking water, their offspring had metabolic alterations that appear to impact the way the body metabolizes sugar,” said the study’s senior author, Raquel Chamorro-Garcia, Ph.D., of the University of California, Santa Cruz, in Santa Cruz, Calif. “This suggests that tobacco use in men is linked with an increased risk of their descendants developing diabetes.”

To investigate this link, researchers tracked the offspring of male mice that had been given nicotine in their drinking water. These offspring were compared with those from a control group whose fathers had not been exposed to nicotine.

The results showed clear metabolic differences between the groups. Female offspring of nicotine exposed fathers had lower insulin levels and lower fasting glucose levels compared with the control group. Male offspring also showed reduced blood glucose levels and changes in liver function. Conditions such as obesity and diabetes are known contributors to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Importance of Male Health Before Conception

“Considering the evidence that male exposure can increase the likelihood of their children developing chronic diseases, it is crucial to incorporate male health into preconception care,” said Chamorro-Garcia, assistant professor of microbiology and environmental toxicology at UC Santa Cruz. “Our findings suggest fathers’ use of tobacco products may have lasting effects on their children’s health.”

Because the mice were exposed only to pure nicotine during the experiment, the researchers were able to isolate its effects. According to Chamorro-Garcia, the findings indicate that metabolic changes observed in the offspring were not caused by other byproducts found in cigarettes or additives used in e-cigarettes.

Other study authors are Stephanie Aguiar, Truman Natividad, Daniel Davis, and Carlos Diaz-Castillo, all at UC Santa Cruz.

Funding for the research came from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the University of California Office of the President Tobacco-related Disease Research Program award, and University of California, Santa Cruz Start-up Funds.