Daily Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Eating too much added sugar can lead to a number of negative health effects including weight gain, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. A new study has found that women who drink one or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day may have up to a 20% increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Participants in the study included 106,178 women who did not have cardiovascular disease or diabetes at the beginning of the study. Sugar-sweetened beverages were defined as soft drinks with calories, sweetened bottled water, sweetened tea, and sugar-added fruit drinks. A food frequency questionnaire was used to determine usual serving size and frequency of consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Participants were followed for an average of 20 years and all cardiovascular events were recorded.

Participants who drank one or more sugar-sweetened beverages daily were found to have a 20% increased risk of having cardiovascular disease compared to those who never drank sugar-sweetened beverages. They were also found to have a 26% higher risk of needing to have a revascularization procedure such as angioplasty, and a 21% higher risk of a stroke. In addition, consuming one or more sugar-added fruit drinks per day was associated with a 42% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of California San Diego. It was published online ahead of print on May 13, 2020 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.