Sugary Drinks Increase Risk for Heart Disease in Men

A recent study published in Circulation used data from the 42,883 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and found that consuming 1 sugar-sweetened beverage a day conferred a 20% higher risk of heart disease compared to men who didn't drink any sugar-sweetened drinks. Consuming one sugary drink per day elevated the men's C-reactive protein (CRP, an inflammatory marker, as well as increased triglycerides  and lowered the good cholesterol, HDL. Consuming such drinks twice a week or twice a month did not affect these markers. While this study was done in men, primarily white men between age 40-75, previously published work using the 2009 Nurses' Health Study were comparable.