Diet Soda Could Increase Your Risk Of Stroke
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- That daily can of diet pop may give you a boost, but it could also be bad for your heart.
A new study says that people who drink diet soda every day have a nearly 50 percent higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
It's not definitive proof of harm, but new research Wednesday at an American Stroke Association conference in Los Angeles raises concern about diet soda. It suggests that people who drink it every day have higher risks for stroke and heart attack than those who drink no soda of any kind at all.
The findings come from a federally funded study of about 2,500 adults in the New York City area.
Doctors have no explanation for why diet soda might be risky. It could be that people who drink lots of it also fail to exercise, weigh more or have other risk factors like high blood pressure and smoking. However, the researchers took these factors into account and found the trend remained.
A Harvard doctor behind the study said this should be wake up call to pay attention to diet pop and drink water instead.
Since the people studied may have had other risk factors -- more investigation must now be done.
Some doctors worry about the sodium and artificial sweeteners in diet drinks, which could be linked to vascular problems.
