Dec. 10, 2024 – The choice between a scoop of ice cream or a bubbly sweet soda could make a difference in a person’s risk of serious problems with the heart and blood vessels like having an aneurysm or stroke.
Drinking more than eight sweetened beverages per week was linked to a 19% increased risk of stroke, an 18% increased risk of heart failure, and a 31% increased risk of aneurysm compared to drinking less than one per week, according to a study published in the latest edition of the journal Frontiers in Public Health. Such dramatic risks were not observed even among people who reported frequently adding sugary toppings or eating treats like ice cream and chocolate.
“The most striking finding from our study is the divergent relationship between different sources of added sugar and cardiovascular disease risk,” said researcher Suzanne Janzi, a PhD candidate at Sweden’s Lund University, in a news release. “This surprising contrast highlights the importance of considering not just the amount of sugar consumed, but its source and context.”
Diet is considered one of the top ways to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems, and much research has focused on the benefits of reducing fat intake, limiting alcohol, avoiding processed foods, and increasing plant-based options. This latest study sought to examine whether specific sources of added sugar were related to certain types of cardiovascular problems, including stroke, aneurysm, heart attack, heart failure, an irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, or a heart valve problem called aortic stenosis.
The researchers compiled data for nearly 70,000 people ages 45 to 83 living in Sweden who self-reported their dietary patterns in 1997 and again in 2009. They tracked the people to see if they developed cardiovascular problems over more than 20 years. The team analyzed added sugar intake based on three categories: sweetened beverages, sweetened toppings (table sugar, jam, marmalade, or honey), and sweetened treats like ice cream, pastries, and chocolate.
The people who reported consuming the most sugar tended to be men and reported higher exercise levels and lower levels of education, compared to people who didn’t consume much sugar. People who ate the most sugar usually were older and reported drinking a lot of sweetened beverages and adding sweetened toppings rather than eating pastries, ice cream, chocolate, and candy.
The researchers noted important limitations to their study, including that people self-reported what they ate and drank, which can sometimes be inaccurate. And the study participants were not diverse and all lived in Sweden, so the results may not readily translate to health risks for people living elsewhere.
