Diet Soda Linked to CVD and Mortality

A US prospective multicenter longitudinal study suggested that higher intake of artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) was associated with increased risk of stroke, particularly small artery occlusion subtype, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality. The study included 81 714 postmenopausal women of ages 50 to 79 years at baseline who enrolled from 1993 to 1998, with a mean follow-up time of 11.9 years. Adjusted for multiple covariates, those consuming the highest level of ASB compared to never or rarely (<1/wk) had significantly greater likelihood of all end points (except hemorrhagic stroke). The hazard ratios were 1.23, 1.31, 1.29, and 1.16, respectively for all stroke, ischemic stroke, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality. In women with no prior history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or diabetes mellitus, high consumption of ASB was associated with more than a 2-fold increased risk of small artery occlusion ischemic stroke, hazard ratio =2.44. High consumption of ASBs was associated with significantly increased risk of ischemic stroke in women with body mass index ≥30; hazard ratio =2.03. However, there was no information about which artificial sweeteners may be harmful. Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/