Frequent consumption of drinks with sugar or artificial sweeteners increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation by 20%, according to a new study. Drinking an equal amount of sugary soft drinks increased the risk of developing the condition by 10%, while drinking fresh juices was associated with an 8% lower risk, according to the study. Atrial fibrillation is characterized by an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). The main clinical finding is palpitations (fluttering in the chest).
While the study was only able to show an association between sugary drinks and AF, the link remained after accounting for any genetic susceptibility to the condition. A 2017 study found that people of European descent had about a 22% risk of inheriting the condition.
“We still need more research on these drinks to confirm our findings and fully understand all the health implications in terms of heart disease and other health conditions,” said Penny Chris-Etherton, associate professor of nutritional sciences at State University. of Pennsylvania, which was not involved in the new study.
Artificial sweeteners and danger
“In the meantime, water is the best option and, based on this study, we should limit or avoid artificially sweetened beverages,” he added.
“Atrial fibrillation can lead to blood clots and heart failure and increase the risk of heart attack, dementia and kidney disease. All of these are likely long-term risks,” Dr. Gregory Marcus, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and associate chief of research at UCSF Health.
40 million people live with atrial fibrillation
Almost 40 million people worldwide live with atrial fibrillation. Many of them suffer from chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath and fatigue. The condition is treated with drugs, lifestyle changes and, if necessary, surgery to slow or restore the heart’s normal rhythm.
“Age is one of the most important risk factors, so as the population ages it becomes more common,” Marcus said.
The “obesity” factor
The obesity epidemic is also contributing to rising rates, along with other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, smoking and alcohol consumption.
Additional health risks
The researchers analyzed data from 202,000 adults aged 37 to 73 from the UK biomedical data bank Biobank between 2006 and 2010. Participants were followed for an average of 10 years. Participants who consumed more artificially sweetened beverages tended to be young women, have a higher body mass index and a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes.
Participants who consumed more sugary drinks were more likely to be young men, have a higher body mass index, a higher prevalence of heart disease and a lower socioeconomic status.
Smoking also affected risk, with smokers who drank more than two liters of sugary drinks a week having a 31% higher risk of developing AF, while no significant increase in risk was seen for ex-smokers or people who had never smoked.
No definitive conclusions
“The findings of our study cannot definitively conclude that one beverage poses a greater health risk than another because of the complexity of our diets and because some people may drink more than one type of beverage,” said lead author study author Dr. Ningjian Wang, professor at Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, China.
“However, based on these findings, we recommend that people reduce or even avoid artificially sweetened beverages whenever possible,” Wang said. “Don’t assume that low-sugar, low-calorie drinks are healthier, they may have potential health risks,” he added.
The study was published this week in the journal Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology.
SOURCE: CNN, ert.gr
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