Dietary drinks linked to a 23% increase in the risk of stroke in women: study

The researchers also found that a high consumption of dietary drinks also resulted in an increase in other health risks, including an increased risk of developing heart disease by 29% and an increased probability of premature death by 16%.

© 2019 The Washington Post |
Linda Searing, The Washington Post

Updated: Feb. 25 2019 03:56 IST

2 min read

The study did not identify specific artificial sweeteners that dietary soda contained

Swapping regular sodas for diet drinks may seem like a smart way to reduce calories. But new research suggests that women who drink a lot of sweetened beverages increase the risk of having a stroke by 23%.

What is it? At least two dietary drinks a day for this study. These women are 31% more likely to have the most common type of stroke – ischemic stroke, caused by a clot.

The results come from the badysis of about 12 years of health data from 81,714 women aged 50 and over. The researchers compared women who drank two sodas or fruit drinks a day to those who drank less once a week or not at all. The study did not identify specific artificial sweeteners contained in beverages.

The researchers found that high consumption of diet drinks also increased other health risks, including an increased risk of developing heart disease by 29% and an increased probability of premature death by 16%. In addition, in black women and obese women, the risk of having an ischemic stroke more than doubled if they consumed a lot of dietary drinks.

All the participants in the research were middle and older women, so it is unclear whether the results would apply to anyone else. What to do? The American Heart Association, which published the study in its newspaper Stroke, recommends water, whether it be pure, carbonated or flavored, but unsweetened, as the best choice for a drink without calories.

(This story has not been changed by NDTV staff and is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)

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