MODEL RELEASED. Diabetes education. Nurse providing a patient with leaflets on diabetes. The computer screen at right provides information on smoking in relation to diabetes. Smoking can increase the risk of developing diabetes, and can increase the risk of complications in those who already have diabetes. The information on the screen gives estimated life expectancies for a 62-year-old who started smoking at the age of 13 and has 6 cigarettes per day. Stopping smoking would increase this patient's life expectancy from 72 to 77 years. The age at which quality of life would deteriorate would rise from 68 to 73 years.