A recent study reveals that consuming more than two liters of artificially sweetened beverages weekly, equivalent to a daily medium-sized diet soda from fast food outlets, can elevate the risk of atrial fibrillation (A-fib) by 20% compared to non-consumers. A-fib, a common heart rhythm irregularity, is often described by sufferers as a fluttering or quivering sensation in the chest.
Interestingly, the research also highlighted that consuming a similar volume of beverages sweetened with added sugar raises the risk of this condition by 10%. Conversely, ingesting approximately four ounces of natural, unsweetened juices like orange or vegetable juice was associated with an 8% decreased risk of developing A-fib.
Penny Kris-Etherton, a nutritional sciences emeritus professor at Pennsylvania State University and not involved in the study, underscored the novelty of these findings. She noted this research as the first to establish a link between both no- and low-calorie sweeteners and sugar-sweetened beverages with a heightened risk of atrial fibrillation.
Although the study indicates a strong association, it does not prove causality. However, the link persists even when considering genetic predispositions to A-fib, with a 2017 study indicating about a 22% hereditary risk among those of European descent.
Further research is essential to solidify these findings and fully understand the implications on heart disease and other health conditions, as emphasized by Kris-Etherton, who is also a member of the American Heart Association nutrition committee. She recommends water as the best beverage choice, advising limited or no consumption of artificially sweetened beverages.
Atrial fibrillation is a leading cause of stroke in the U.S., with strokes related to A-fib often being more severe. The condition affects nearly 40 million people globally, including 6 million Americans. It can be asymptomatic or cause symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath. Despite this, A-fib is manageable through medication, lifestyle adjustments, and potentially surgery.
With atrial fibrillation cases on the rise in the U.S., projected to reach 12 million by 2030, and obesity contributing to its prevalence along with other risk factors like high blood pressure and diabetes, this study adds to the body of evidence on the health impacts of beverage choices.
The research, which appeared in the journal Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, analyzed data from nearly 202,000 participants in the UK Biobank, tracking them over an average of ten years. It found that higher consumption of artificially sweetened drinks was more common among women, younger individuals, those with a higher body mass index, and those with type 2 diabetes, whereas higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was more typical among men, younger individuals, and those with a higher prevalence of heart disease.
Lead study author Dr. Ningjian Wang, from the Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, cautions against assuming low-sugar and low-calorie beverages are healthy, recommending reduction or avoidance of both artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened beverages to mitigate potential health risks.