Study shows link between sugary drinks and higher risk of atrial fibrillation

Adults who reported drinking two liters (about 67 ounces) or more of sugary or artificially sweetened beverages per week had a higher risk of an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation compared with adults who drank fewer such beverages, according to new research published today . in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiologya peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

The study also found that drinking one liter (about 34 ounces) or less per week of pure, unsweetened juice, such as orange or vegetable juice, was associated with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib). However, the study could not confirm whether sugary drinks caused AFib, but the association remained after accounting for a person’s genetic susceptibility to the condition.

Drinking sugary drinks has been linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity in previous research. This large UK Biobank health data study is among the first to assess a potential link between sugary or artificially sweetened drinks and AFib. Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart beats irregularly, increasing the risk of stroke by fivefold. More than 12 million people are expected to have AFib by 2030, according to the American Heart Association’s 2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics.

Our study findings 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. However, based on these findings, we recommend that people reduce or even avoid artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened beverages whenever possible. Don’t assume that drinking artificially sweetened low-sugar, low-calorie drinks is healthy, it can pose potential health risks.”

Ningjian Wang, MD, Ph.D., lead author of the study, researcher at Ninth People’s Hospital and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, China

The researchers looked at data from dietary questionnaires and genetic data on more than 200,000 adults without AFib at the time they were enrolled in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010. During the nearly 10-year follow-up period, there were 9,362 cases of AFib among the participants. study.

The analysis found:

• Compared with people who did not consume sugary drinks, there was a 20% increased risk of atrial fibrillation among people who said they drank more than 2 liters per week (about 67 ounces or more, or about one 12-ounce drink 6 days a week). of artificially sweetened beverages; and a 10% increased risk among participants who reported drinking 2 liters per week or more of sugary beverages.
• People who reported drinking 1 liter (about 34 ounces) or less of pure fruit juice each week had an 8% lower risk of atrial fibrillation.
• Participants who consumed more artificially sweetened beverages were more likely to be female, younger, 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 male, younger, have a higher body mass index, a higher prevalence of heart disease and a lower socioeconomic status.
• Those who drank sugary drinks and pure juices were more likely to have a higher total sugar intake than those who drank artificially sweetened drinks.
• Smoking may also influence risk, with smokers who drank more than two liters a week of sugary soft drinks having a 31% higher risk of AFib, while no significant increase in risk was seen for ex-smokers or people who had never smoked.

“These new findings on the relationships between atrial fibrillation risk and sugary and artificially sweetened beverages and pure juice may prompt the development of new prevention strategies by looking at reducing sugary drinks to improve heart health,” he said. Wang.

The researchers also assessed whether genetic susceptibility to AFib was a factor in the association with sugary drinks. The analysis found that the risk of AFib was high with consumption of more than 2 liters of artificially sweetened beverages per week, regardless of genetic susceptibility.

“Although the mechanisms linking sugary drinks and AF risk are still unclear, there are several possible explanations, including insulin resistance and the body’s response to different sweeteners,” Wang said. “Artificial sweeteners in food and drinks mainly include sucralose, aspartame, saccharin and acesulfame.”

A 2018 scientific advisory from the American Heart Association noted that there is a paucity of large, long-term, randomized trials on the effectiveness and safety of artificial sweeteners. The writing team advised against the consumption of low-calorie sugary drinks by children. However, they noted that artificially sweetened beverages may be a useful replacement strategy for reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among adults who habitually drink a large number of sugar-sweetened beverages.

American Heart Association nutrition committee member Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., RD, FAHA, said these findings on artificially sweetened beverages are surprising “given that two liters of artificially sweetened beverages per week is equivalent to about a 12-ounce diet soda a day.”

Kris-Etherton, professor emeritus of nutritional sciences at Penn State University, co-authored the association’s scientific advisory on artificial sweeteners.

“This is the first study to report an association between no- and low-calorie sweeteners and sugar-sweetened beverages and an increased risk of atrial fibrillation,” he said. “While there is strong evidence about the negative effects of sugary drinks and cardiovascular disease risk, there is less evidence about the negative health effects of artificial sweeteners.

“We still need more research on these drinks to confirm these findings and fully understand all the health implications for heart disease and other conditions. In the meantime, water is the best choice and, based on this study, no-calorie sugary drinks should be limited or avoided.”

The American Heart Association’s 2016 dietary guidelines align with the USDA’s 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, recommending minimizing consumption of sugary beverages. They also note that there is inconclusive evidence for the role of no- and low-calorie sweeteners in many health outcomes. The American Heart Association recommends a limited intake of sugary drinks such as soft drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, sugary tea and coffee drinks. Healthy drink choices noted are water and fat-free or low-fat milk, while fresh, frozen or packaged unsweetened fruit juice is recommended over fruit juice with added sugar. Half a cup of pure juice (such as orange juice or grapefruit) is recognized as one serving of fruit.

Background and study details:

• UK Biobank is a large, biomedical database of health records for around 500,000 adults -? enrolled from 2006 to 2010 – living in the UK and receiving healthcare through the UK National Health Service.
• Data on 201,856 UK Biobank participants, aged 37 to 73, were examined, and 45% were men.
• Participants were followed for an average of almost 10 years.
• Blood samples were collected to measure genetic risk for AFib, and participants answered more than one 24-hour questionnaire about their diet on five repeated occasions between April 2009 and June 2012.

Limitations of this study include that the findings were observational and cannot prove causality between drinking certain types of beverages and the risk of AFib. Additionally, the findings relied on participants to recall their own diets, so there may have been memory errors or bias. It is also unknown whether the sugary and artificially sweetened drinks contained caffeine.