Sweetened beverage consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in women.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have linked full-calorie sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) with greater weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.


OBJECTIVE
We prospectively examined the association between consumption of SSBs and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women.


METHODS
Women (n = 88,520) from the Nurses' Health Study aged 34-59 y, without previously diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, or diabetes in 1980, were followed from 1980 to 2004. Consumption of SSBs was derived from 7 repeated food-frequency questionnaires administered between 1980 and 2002. Relative risks (RRs) for CHD were calculated by using Cox proportional hazards models and adjusted for known cardiovascular disease risk factors.


RESULTS
During 24 y of follow-up, we ascertained 3105 incident cases of CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction and fatal CHD). After standard and dietary risk factors were adjusted for, the RRs (and 95% CIs) of CHD according to categories of cumulative average of SSB consumption (<1/mo, 1-4/mo, 2-6/wk, 1/d, and > or =2 servings/d) were 1.0, 0.96 (0.87, 1.06), 1.04 (0.95, 1.14), 1.23 (1.06, 1.43), and 1.35 (1.07, 1.69) (P for trend < 0.001). Additional adjustment for body mass index, energy intake, and incident diabetes attenuated the associations, but they remained significant. Artificially sweetened beverages were not associated with CHD.


CONCLUSIONS
Regular consumption of SSBs is associated with a higher risk of CHD in women, even after other unhealthful lifestyle or dietary factors are accounted for.
Fung
Teresa T
TT
Department of Nutrition, Simmons College, Boston, MA 02115, USA. fung@simmons.edu
Malik
Vasanti
V
Rexrode
Kathryn M
KM
Manson
JoAnn E
JE
Willett
Walter C
WC
Hu
Frank B
FB
D000328:Adult; D001628:Beverages; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004034:Diet Surveys; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D019422:Dietary Sucrose