Sugar-sweetened drinks linked to 180,000 deaths worldwide each year

Sugar-sweetened beverages, sports drinks and fruit drinks may be associated with about 180,000 deaths worldwide each year, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Scientific Sessions.

Using data collected for the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study, researchers contacted experts worldwide to obtain data from 114 national dietary surveys covering more than 60% of the population.

Based on these data, the researchers linked consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to 133,000 deaths from diabetes, 44,000 deaths from CVD and 6,000 deaths from cancer, according to a press release.

Income level played a role, according to the results. Seventy-eight percent of deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, compared with high-income countries.

When examined by region, in 2010, sugar-sweetened beverage intake ranged from less than one serving (8 oz.) daily in Chinese women aged older than 65 years to more than five servings in Cuban men aged younger than 45 years.

In 2010, of nine world regions studied, Latin America and the Caribbean had the greatest number of deaths related to diabetes (38,000) due to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. East/Central Eurasia had the greatest number of CVD-related deaths due to beverage consumption (11,000). Mexico, which has the highest per-capita consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, had the highest death rate due to sugar-sweetened beverage intake — 318 deaths per million adults. Japan had the lowest death rate associated with consumption (10 deaths per million adults).

“In the United States, our research shows that about 25,000 deaths in 2010 were linked to drinking sugar-sweetened beverages,” Gitanjali M. Singh, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in the department of nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, stated in a press release.

"Because we were focused on deaths due to chronic diseases, our study focused on adults," Singh said. "Future research should assess the amount of sugary beverage consumption in children across the world and how this affects their current and future health."

For more information:

Singh GM. Abstract #MP22. Presented at: American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Scientific Sessions; March 19-22, 2013; New Orleans.

Disclosure: This study was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Singh reports no relevant financial disclosures.