Association Between T2D, CVD and Sugary Drinks Is Prominent Around Globe

A new study published in Nature Medicine highlighted the yearly estimates of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence related to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. The research comes from a team at the Food Is Medicine Institute at Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. The researchers estimated that 2.2 million new cases of T2D and 1.2 million new cases of CVD are associated with sugary beverages.

Some of the study highlights include:

• In sub-Saharan Africa, sugary beverages contributed to more than 21% of all T2D cases.
• In Latin America and the Caribbean, the beverages contributed to nearly 24% of new T2D cases and more than 11% of new CVD cases.
• More than 48% of all new T2D cases in Colombia were attributable to sugary beverages.
• Almost one-third of T2D cases in Mexico were linked to sugary drinks.
• In South Africa, more than 27% of T2D cases and nearly 15% of CVD cases were attributable to consuming sugary drinks.

The authors noted that as countries develop and income rises, sugary beverages become more accessible within communities that are less well equipped to contend with the longer-term health consequences associated with consuming sugary drinks.

The group recommends strategies such as public health campaigns, regulation of sugary drink advertising, and taxes on sugary beverages, with early evidence suggesting that Mexico’s 2014 sugary beverage tax is effective in reducing consumption, particularly among lower-income individuals.

Source

Nature Medicine