Study links sugary drinks to higher risk of death, especially among women

Researchers are reporting that drinking sugary beverages like sodas and sports drinks is associated with a greater risk of death from heart disease, especially among women. 

In the study, the researchers analyzed data from two large, long-term health studies that began in the 1980s and included more than 118,000 men and women. The scientists collected data on health, behavioral, and diet characteristics, including data on their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

The more sugar-sweetened beverages they consumed, the higher the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes of death. Substituting one sugary drink a day with an artificially sweetened drink was associated with a slightly lower risk of dying, they say.

The study, partly funded by NHLBI, appeared in the journal Circulation, a publication of the American Heart Association.