Artificially sweetened beverages could cause stroke in postmenopausal women

In postmenopausal women, the daily consumption of multiple artificially sweetened beverages was badociated with an increased risk of having a cerebrovascular accident.

According to research published in the American Heart Association, the daily intake of artificially sweetened beverages was badociated with an increased risk of stroke caused by an obstructed artery, especially small arteries.

Study artificially sweetened drinks

This is one of the first studies to examine the link between the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and the risk of developing a specific type of stroke in a large group of postmenopausal women with racial differences.

Compared to women who consumed dietary drinks less than once a week or not at all, women who ate at least two soft drinks a day were:

• 23% more likely to have a stroke
• 31% more likely to have a stroke (ischemic)
• 29% more likely to develop heart disease (fatal or nonfatal heart attack),
• 16% more likely to die of any cause.

It is important to note that although this study identifies an badociation between dietary drinks and stroke, it does not prove the causes and effects of the study, as it was based on self-reported information about the consumption of dietary drinks.

Higher risk for some women

The researchers found that the risks were higher for some women. A high intake of dietary drinks, defined as two or more times a day, has more than doubled the risk of stroke by:

• Women without previous heart disease or diabetes, who were 2.44 times more likely to experience a type of common stroke caused by blockage of one of the very small arteries of the brain
• Obese women without previous heart disease or diabetes, who were 2.03 times more likely to have a stroke caused by a clot
• African-Americans without previous heart disease or diabetes, who were 3.93 times more likely to have a clot-caused stroke.

Details of the study

Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Ph.D., lead author of the study and Associate Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the United States, explains: Many well-intentioned people, especially those who are overweight or obese, drink low-calorie sweetened drinks to reduce calories in their diet.

"Our research and other observational studies have shown that artificially sweetened beverages may not be innocuous and that high consumption is badociated with a higher risk of stroke and illness." heart. "

Researchers badyzed data on 81,714 postmenopausal women (aged 50 to 79 at baseline) who participated in the Women's Health Initiative that tracked health outcomes on average 11.9 years later their registration between 1993 and 1998.

In their triennial badessment, women reported how many times in the last three months they had consumed dietary drinks such as low calorie soft drinks, colas, sodas and artificially sweetened fruit drinks. The collected data did not include information on the specific artificial sweetener contained in the beverages.

The results were obtained after adjusting for various risk factors for stroke, such as age, high blood pressure, and smoking. These findings in postmenopausal women may not be generalized to younger men or women. The study is also limited by the fact that only women report having taken dietary drinks.

We do not know which drinks can be harmful and which ones will not be.

"We do not know exactly which types of artificially sweetened beverages they consume, so we do not know what artificial sweeteners can be harmful and which ones can be harmless," adds Mossavar-Rahmani.

The American Heart Association has recently published a scientific opinion explaining the lack of scientific research to conclude that hypocaloric sweetened beverages do or do not modify the risk factors for heart disease and stroke in people with high blood sugar. young children, teenagers or adults.

The Association recognizes that dietary drinks can help replace high-calorie sweetened beverages, but recommends water (plain, flavored, and unsweetened) as the best choice for a calorie-free drink.