Effect of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist Stimulation on Smoking Consumption in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Diabetes has become an increasingly serious global health issue. In 2024, approximately 537 million adults were living with diabetes, and this number is projected to rise to 783 million by 2045, representing a 46% increase. Against the backdrop of a growing global diabetes epidemic, smoking among individuals with diabetes poses a significant threat, further exacerbating clinical and public health burdens. Despite over 50 years of tobacco control efforts, smoking remains one of the greatest public health threats in history, causing more than 8 million deaths annually worldwide. Among these, over 7 million deaths result from direct tobacco use, while approximately 1.3 million deaths are attributed to secondhand smoke exposure. Recent studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of developing prediabetes and diabetes. Moreover, individuals with diabetes who smoke have a higher risk of all-cause mortality, worsened chronic diabetic complications, an increased likelihood of developing cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and greater difficulty in glycemic control. Despite substantial evidence highlighting the detrimental effects of smoking on individuals with diabetes, national surveys from the 1990s indicated similar smoking prevalence rates between individuals with and without diabetes (27.3% and 25.9%, respectively). Although various smoking cessation methods are available, the success rate of quitting remains low, necessitating novel intervention strategies. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. They exert hypoglycemic effects by stimulating insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner, inhibiting glucagon secretion, enhancing glucose uptake in muscle and adipose tissue, suppressing hepatic glucose production, delaying gastric emptying, and reducing appetite. Existing studies suggest that GLP-1 influences the brain's reward system, and GLP-1RAs have been shown to reduce nicotine dependence in animal models. Recent clinical research has demonstrated that GLP-1RAs can be used in combination with nicotine patches to facilitate smoking cessation. However, whether GLP-1RAs alone can directly promote smoking cessation in individuals with diabetes remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the potential direct effects of GLP-1RAs on smoking cessation in patients with type 2 diabetes.

NCT Number	NCT06924697
Lead Sponsor	Shanghai East Hospital
Conditions	Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Nicotine Dependence, Cigarettes
Enrollment	46 participants
Start Date	2025-06-21
Primary Completion	2026-01-11 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-07-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-05-31