AVC y sodas

Artificially Sweetened Drinks Linked to Stroke, Heart Disease

By Kelly Young

Edited by Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM

Consumption of artificially sweetened beverages like diet soda is associated with elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, suggests an observational study in Stroke.

As part of the Women's Health Initiative, researchers asked 80,000 women aged 50 to 79 about their consumption of artificially sweetened beverages over the past 3 months and followed them for a mean of 12 years.

After multivariable adjustment, consumption of two or more artificially sweetened beverages a day was associated with higher risks for ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 1.31), coronary heart disease (HR, 1.29), and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.16), compared with drinking less than one a week. The findings remained significant when women with cardiovascular disease or diabetes were excluded.

Editorialists emphasize that water is the best substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages. However, if artificially sweetened beverages are used to help patients limit sugary beverages, they "should be viewed as a time-limited intermediate in the transition to water and other healthier beverages."

Stroke article (Free abstract)

Stroke editorial (Subscription required)

Background: Physician's First Watch coverage of diet beverages and stroke risk (Free)

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Benjamin Hidalgo-Matlock
Skin Care Physicians of Costa Rica

Clinica Victoria en San Pedro: 4000-1054
Momentum Escazu: 2101-9574

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