Dietary drinks may be associated with stroke in older women

The links between the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and the risk of specific stroke in a large group of postmenopausal women of various racial origins were examined in this study; an badociation between dietary drinks and stroke has been identified, but as this is an observational study, it does not prove the cause.

Women who drank at least two soft drinks a day were 23% more likely to have a stroke; 31% more likely to have a clot caused by a stroke; 29% more likely to develop heart disease / fatal or nonfatal heart attack; and 16% more likely to die of any cause than those who drank diet drinks less than once a week or not at all.

The risks were higher for some women, such as heavy consumption of dietary drinks and consumption of two or more drinks per day, which more than doubled the risk of stroke: women without diabetes or heart disease previous were 2.44 times more likely to undergo a common type of stroke. by blocking the arteries; obese women without diabetes or heart disease were 2.03 times more likely to have a clot-caused stroke; and African-American women without diabetes or heart disease were 3.93 times more likely to have a clot.

Well-intentioned people often drink low-calorie sweetened drinks to try to reduce them, but this research and others have shown that these artificially sweetened drinks may not be harmless and that a high consumption is badociated at a higher risk of stroke and heart disease, according to Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Ph.D.

Data were badyzed from 81,714 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years who participated in the health outcome study over an average of 11 9 years, on health effects, in which women consumers reported how much and fruit drinks they had consumed.

Results may not be generalizable to younger men or women; Adjustments were made for various risk factors for stroke, such as smoking, age and high blood pressure, to obtain the results regarding postmenopausal women. The study was also limited by data on specific artificial sweeteners in non-supplied beverages and by women's reported beverage consumption.

The American Heart Association has published a scientific opinion stating that research was insufficient to conclude that hypocaloric sweetened beverages alter or not the risk factors for heart disease and stroke in adults, adolescents and adults. children; They recognize that dietary drinks can help replace sugary high-calorie drinks, but recommend pure water, including unsweetened, carbonated water, as the best choice for non-calorie drinks.

In the absence of long-term clinical trial data on the effects of low-calorie sugary drinks and cardiovascular health, it would be best to avoid and limit prolonged use due to their low nutritional value and results of observational studies such as these showing an badociation of misdeeds. and increased risks.