Diet Soda A Day Linked With Higher Risk Of Stroke, Heart Attack

Here's another reason why you might want to curb that diet soda addiction.

A new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine shows that drinking diet soda every day is linked with a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.

Researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Columbia University Medical Center examined the soda-drinking habits of 2,564 people who participated in the Northern Manhattan Study over a 10-year period.

The researchers found that people who reported drinking diet soda on a daily basis had a 43 percent higher risk of having a vascular event than people who didn't drink any soda, even when accounting for conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.

However, researchers did find that people who tended to drink diet soda more occasionally -- between six a week and once a month -- and people who drank regular soda didn't have the increased risk of a vascular event.

Study researcher Hannah Gardener warned that more research is needed, but said in a statement that the "results suggest a potential association between daily diet soft drink consumption and vascular outcomes. However, the mechanisms by which soft drinks may affect vascular events are unclear." Gardener previously presented her findings last year at the International Stroke Conference.

Health.com reported that people who drink diet drinks -- not just soda -- don't just stop at one: They drink several of the drinks a day.

Health.com explained why people seem to be drawn to diet soda:

Although diet soda clearly isn't as addictive as a drug like nicotine, experts say the rituals that surround diet soda and the artificial sweeteners it contains can make some people psychologically -- and even physically -- dependent on it in ways that mimic more serious addictions. And unlike sugared soda, which will make you gain weight if you drink too much of it, zero-calorie soda doesn't seem to have an immediate downside that prevents people from overindulging.

Last year, a study presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting showed that drinking diet soda is linked with having a wider waistline.

"Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised," study researcher Helen P. Hazuda, Ph.D., a professor and chief of clinical epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio's School of Medicine, said in a statement. "They may be free of calories but not of consequences."

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Comments

[Nahum Figueroa]

09:32 PM on 05/01/2012

Correlation does NOT equal causation!!! Gosh - ignorant Michelle Robson.

0:31 - 0:35 - WRONG - drinking diet soda does NOT increase waist circumference. The studies were correlational. One of the basic foundations of statistics is that correlation does not equal causation. Diet soda does NOT directly cause weight gain. It is the potential eating anxiety that results from it that leads people to eat more food and that is what causes weight gain.

Theoretically, I could drink 3 gallons of diet soda a day for a month and as long as I eat healthy
(protein/fruits/whole grain/good fats) I won't gain a single pound of fat. But of course, so much soda would cause me a huge deal of eating anxiety, and most likely I'd end up eating a ton of food as a result of the the artificial sweeteners, so in a month essentially I would end up gaining weight.

Michelle Robson is clearly not smart enough to understand correlational data.

[jeliz]

06:36 PM on 02/11/2012

Look at your sodium levels. In a normal sugary soda, they sodium is 25 mg. In most diet sodas it's 50 mg or more -- double the normal dose. People who are drinking 4 a day are loaded with sodium. No wonder it's causing problems. Stick to drinking water.

[CoachChad]

06:09 PM on 02/11/2012

The reality of the information and continuous mudslide of studies regarding artificial sweetners and Diet Soda's and such says one thing to me. Where there's smoke, there's fire. Regardless of the angles we take in uncovering validity of these releases, it is clear to me there is a problem with these drinks. I now consume Yoli drinks that only use all natural, no preservatives, no artificial sweetners, no artificial flavors, etc....Sweetened with Stevia and Xylitol only. It has helped me lose 25 pounds in a month and a half after I stopped drinking Diet Soda. I drank Diet Soda for over 15 years religiously and was able to kick the habit in 10 days with the Yoli drinks. It could help you too. Check out www.fit2live.mybetterbodysystem.com if you want a healthier you..I promise you will enjoy the taste as well. I was a skeptic at first with being able to kick the Diet Soda, but not anymore......

[CannoliGirl]

01:54 PM on 02/10/2012

The major problem with this is this line:

"Researchers did find that people who tended to drink diet soda more occasionally -- between six a week and once a month -- and people who drank regular soda didn't have the increased risk of a vascular event."

So get it straight: if you drink diet drinks, only drink them for six days a week, then lay off one day, and whatever the drink is doing to you the previous six days is undone due to taking off one day. Right? That makes sense, yes?

*rollseyes*

[63blonde]

10:27 AM on 02/05/2012

I drink more than one diet soda a day, but stick with the brands that are caffeine, calorie, and sodium free. The carbonation is somewhat bloating. I like iced tea but it's not that easy to find the ones that don't have caffeine.

[Jim Gober]

02:20 PM on 02/04/2012

that is some puffy lips!

[sundanzron]

05:30 PM on 02/03/2012

I MAKE IT RULE, SELF RULE, LONG TIME AGO...... NEVER TO EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING THAT STARTS ITS SPELLING WITH "D-I-E" .......

[Sylvia Klinger]

04:57 PM on 02/03/2012

This article reminded how important it is to read the “fine print” when analyzing new research. So, I wanted to reinforce (and thank the author for mentioning) that the researchers ask us to keep in mind more research is needed before we can say there is an association between diet soda and risk of vascular event. In addition, it’s important to emphasize the researchers only looked accounted for the participants’ diets at the beginning of the study (which could have changed over the course of the study) and didn’t account for family history.  As a health professional who works with individuals and companies, including Coke, I know offering a wide variety of low- and no-calorie beverages can help people manage their caloric intake. Further, low-calorie sweeteners are safe – they have been approved for use in various countries throughout the world for many years. Ultimately, maintaining a healthy weight by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly, not smoking and keeping stress levels under control are the best ways to reduce your risk of cardiovascular problems.

[mkr3dc]

06:43 PM on 02/03/2012

What friggin' big pharma corp do you represent?????????????????

[missymom]

10:33 AM on 02/04/2012

"As a health professional who works with individual companies, including Coke" totally negates what you have to say. You are a shill for the industry.

[goldy67]

02:49 PM on 02/03/2012

Why would anyone drink this sludge called diet soda anyway? When you change your mindset about food and think about putting good things in your body, there simply is no place for diet soda.
People are just addicted to the pleasure sensation of excessively sweet things. Try sparkling water with a splash of blueberry juice.

[Demeralda]

12:12 PM on 02/03/2012

I guess the flip side is if I replaced the diet soda with regular, I would be consuming hundreds of extra calories a day -- which also could lead to a vascular event.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[dukenupe]

02:58 PM on 02/02/2012

This study is such a joke. I like many of peers in their early 40's grew up having at least one Coke a day. They were sold at school and often served at dinner. I played 4 varsity sports in High school and one in college. I'm 6'3' and still have a 33 inch waist. Most of my friends can say the same thing. Yet, all I hear is how bad sodas are for people. Soft drink consumption is down umong young people yet they are fatter than ever before. Where is the study that shows how little kids and adults exercise today. I just took my son's scouting group out camping last weekend and many mentioned how their parents would not let them drink sodas. Yet at least half were fat and 75% were in poor phyisical condition for being 13-16 years of age. I would put my soda drinking chip eating peers against these groups any day. If you want healthier kids and adults put down the gameboys and get off of facebook instead of quiting soft drinks, regular or diet.

[Bethany Klick]

05:02 PM on 02/02/2012

And then you have people like my mother who work their way through at least 4 2-liters of diet soda every week. Just because you don't have any adverse effects does not mean that the higher risk of vascular problems does not exist.

Sorry if your lovely little anecdote didn't disprove scientific study. I agree that more people need to get out and get exercise, however many of these people do not.

[dukenupe]

11:22 PM on 02/02/2012

I can name hundreds of products if used in excess are not healthy for you. However, moderation is key. I will be sure to tell my 95 year old grandfather who still not only has a "soda pop" as he calls it, a day, he also has a glass of buttermilk every morning along with biscuit and country ham. Up until he was 85 he walked 5 miles a day and could do 50 push-ups straight. he now uses a stationary bike. My dad is at risk as well. He is 71 and the top player on his over 65 tennis team. He switched to diet Coke a few years ago to cut the calories. I am sure his vascular problems are around the corner. On a serious note, being active is the key not banning a beverage. Also, why should you or the government determine what I drink. I think it is odd i respect your choice to not drink diet soft drinks but you feel the need to "ban" my choice.

[Joe Jacovino]

06:45 PM on 02/02/2012

it's not soda consumption that is the issue here, but the link between diet soda, and vascular incidents. obviously you are not grasping this concept. diet soda contains artificial sweeteners, which are potent neuro-toxins and in general are extremely bad for your health. they should be banned again, as they once were, but due to intensive lobbying pressure were allowed back on the market. now as far as regular soda, they are preserved typically with sodium benzoates and other similar chemicals. these destroy the coating on the mitochondria of your cells and if you think that your 33 inch waist is protecting you from damage to your dna at the cellular level, guess again. please dig a little deeper and you will be doing a great service to your young charges, and as far as obesity, look at the rest of the ingredients in the trays full of crap that are popped into the microwave and then consumed by todays youth. there should be laws against poisoning our children, but big-monied corporations make a tidy profit by doing it, so you need to educate yourself and then use that knowledge or else face the eventual dire consequences

[markcc]

02:53 PM on 02/02/2012

Correlation is not causality. A headline like this oversimplifies findings and ignores other factors like the inability of already overweight people to cut total calories, even after substituting diet drinks. Until there is a shred of evidence of physical interaction, this study can only be considered incomplete. I wish they would release the complete demographic statistics of the population sets to see if there are some easy findings from the database. For instance, do older people tend to drink more diet drinks? What is their weight? Age? Exercise? etc. Only then can you reduce the finding to one headline.

[conedoc]

10:49 AM on 02/03/2012

I completely agree with you. There may be confounding factors that contribute to the results of this study. While I believe there is some merit to the detrimental effects of artificial sweeteners in diet sodas, a more complete description of the methods in this study is essential to make a sound and accurate analysis.

[sinop69]

02:29 PM on 02/02/2012

This study absolutely neglects the real culprit...caffeine.
Caffeine is a known diuretic, circulatory and respiratory
stimulant. Guess what? Increase risk of stroke and
heart attack. The diet angle is crap. Caffeine, the most
abused and unregulated addictive drug in the world.

[DizzyDancing12]

02:53 PM on 02/02/2012

"Caffeine, the most
abused and unregulate­d addictive drug in the world. "

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I just quit my 10 can a day diet cola habit with the ensuing throbbing, piercing headaches so yes it is addictive, so I started eating M&Ms instead to help, but wait, chocolate has caffeine too I think!! :oO

[Bethany Klick]

05:03 PM on 02/02/2012

Congrats on kicking the soda! Just be careful on the amount of chocolate and you should be fine ;)

[publicq]

06:10 PM on 02/02/2012

Did you miss the part where they said the increased risk was *not* found in people drinking *regular* soda?

[Tolms]

02:24 PM on 02/02/2012

So recently having heard all the bad stuff about diet soda I've switched from drinking it to only drinking soda with sugar instead of corny syrup. I've found that I now actually drink a lot less of the regular soda and don't miss the diet soda much at all. I say if you want to have soda once in a while go for it..and see if you can't find the good stuff...with real sugar.

[Husaria]

02:21 PM on 02/02/2012

"......zero-calorie soda doesn't seem to have an immediate downside that prevents people from overindulging. "

Really? I have a huge issue with that statement.

www.jcrows.com/aspartame.html

www.naturalnews.com/024302_aspartame_Splenda_diet.html

Downside? Geez, it's all downside.....

[Bethany Klick]

05:04 PM on 02/02/2012

I think the key word there is "seem". A lot of people see "calorie free!" and think YES I can have as much as I want!

[Husaria]

06:03 PM on 02/02/2012

Or, MS, Parkinson's and who knows what else

The stuff should be labeled toxic. However, the billion dollar soft drink industry thinks otherwise.