A recent study indicates that a fondness for sweet drinks could increase the risk of heart-related diseases. The study links consumption of sugary beverages with irregular cholesterol indications, which could potentially harm heart health over time. Approximately 17.9 million people die annually due to cardiovascular disease, a collective term for different conditions impacting the heart and vascular system. Several primary risk factors for cardiovascular diseases include diet, hypertension, coupled with elevated blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
Abnormal blood lipid level, known as dyslipidemia, is among metabolic disorders that medical professionals seek to prevent as part of safeguarding against cardiovascular diseases. To efficiently do this, they need to understand the contributing factors to dyslipidemia. Recent research carried out by researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, MA, reveals that older adults consuming sugary drinks daily could be more susceptible to dyslipidemia.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, indicates that among the older population, those desiring sweet beverages more have increased levels of triglycerides and reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The researchers believe that this issue may lead to dyslipidemia, which could eventually harm cardiovascular health in the long term.
Nicola McKeown, Ph.D., a nutritional epidemiologist and co-author of the study, states, “Our analysis shows what we drink may lead to a higher risk of heart disease by worsening lipid levels.” She adds that managing blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels are vital and a promising approach to preventing heart attacks and strokes.
For this study, the researchers analyzed data from two cohorts from different enrollment stages of the Framingham Offspring Study, counting 3,146 participants from 1991 to 2014 and 3,584 participants from 2002 to 2011. When analyzing this data, they discovered that those drinking one more sugary beverage per day had a 98% higher incidence of low HDL cholesterol and 53% higher incidence of high triglyceride levels at the follow-up examination than those who drank sugary beverages less frequently.
As far as the younger participants from the second cohort are concerned, those consuming more sweet drinks had lower HDL cholesterol levels and increased triglyceride levels at the follow-up exams than their peers who drank sugary drinks less often.
However, the study could not find a definitive link between total fruit juice or drinking diet beverages and the risk of dyslipidemia. Nevertheless, people are recommended not to replace plain water with other drinks. Nicola McKeown points out, “We are healthier in satisfying our thirst with water,” and adds, “current research on the long-term effects of diet soda on health is unclear, so it is wise to comment that diet drinks should only be an occasional enjoyment.”