The relationships between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and cardiometabolic markers in young children.
BACKGROUND
The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has been implicated as a major contributor to the development of obesity and cardiometabolic disease.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationships between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and cardiometabolic markers in young children.


METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics.


METHODS
A total of 4,880 individuals aged 3 to 11 years from nationally representative samples of US children participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey during 1999-2004 were studied.


METHODS
Concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, and C-reactive protein as well as waist circumference and body mass index percentile for age-sex.


METHODS
Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to determine independent associations between each outcome variable and the number of serving equivalents of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed after adjusting for age, sex, race, poverty status, physical activity, and energy intake.


RESULTS
Increased sugar-sweetened beverage intake was independently associated with increased C-reactive protein concentrations (P=0.003), increased waist circumference (P=0.04), and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (P<0.001). Subgroup analyses demonstrated differences in the association of sugar-sweetened beverage intake with metabolic markers and anthropometric measurements among age ranges, sex, and racial/ethnic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In this cross-sectional analysis of children's dietary data, sugar-sweetened beverage intake was independently associated with alterations in lipid profiles, increased markers of inflammation, and increased waist circumference in children. Prospective studies are needed, but awareness of these trends is essential in combating the growing metabolic and cardiovascular disease burden in the pediatric population.
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Ethan C
EC
Kosova
Peggy
P
Auinger
Andrew A
AA
Bremer
D001628:Beverages; D015415:Biomarkers; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol