New research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) suggests drinking sodas and other sugary beverages may significantly increase stroke risk, particularly among women. The study out of Japan found that, compared to women who drink virtually no sugary beverages, women who drink about one a day are 83 percent more likely to suffer an ischemic stroke, the most common form of stroke, and the type that involves a blood clot blocking blood flow to the brain.

Dr. Hiroyasu Iso from Osaka University and his colleagues evaluated data collected on 40,000 people who filled out questionnaires at three time intervals, once in 1990, and again in 1995 and 2000. These individuals shared details about their dietary and lifestyle habits, including how many sodas or sugar-sweetened juices and other beverages they consumed daily. Excluded from consideration were so-called "diet" sodas and 100 percent fruit juices.

Upon analysis, the team observed that ischemic stroke risk increased progressively depending on how many sugary beverages participants consumed in a given week. At lowest risk were women who drank virtually no soft drinks or sugary beverages at all -- out of 11,800 in this group, only 205, or 1.7 percent, had an ischemic stroke in the followup years. At the same time, 28 women out of 921 who drank at least one sugary beverage per day went on to have a stroke, representing a three percent stroke rate for this group.

"It makes sense, if (sugar sweetened beverages) increase the risk for obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammation, then it should, in fact, raise the risk for cardiovascular disease, and that's what we're seeing," said Dr. Adam Bernstein from the Cleveland Clinic, who was not directly involved with the research, about the study. "No single strategy is going to solve the problem, and I think a multi-pronged approach is going to work."

by Jonathan Benson