Diet Soda Increases Heart Attack Risk, Says New Study

Many people drink diet soda because they believe its better for their health, but a new study shows that diet soda may actually increase the risk of heat attacks.

A new study shows that people who drank diet soda once a day had an increased risk of having a stroke, heart attack, or other heart issues.

Hannah Gardener, an epidemiologist at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine who participated in the study said:

“Our results suggest a potential association between daily diet soft drink consumption and vascular outcomes.”

The Huffington Post reports that researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Columbia University Medical Center studied the health of 2,654 participants over a 10-year period.

Researchers found that people who drink soda on a daily basis had a 43% higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke. The study showed that occasional diet soda drinkers (between six a week and once a month) and regular soda drinkings did not have an increased risk of a vascular event.

Study researcher Helen P. Hazuda, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio’s School of Medicine, said:

“Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised… They may be free of calories but not of consequences.”

Health.com reports that many people who drink diet soda will drink multiple cans a day. The fact that diet soda’s have zero calories lead people to believe that they can drink as many as they want without consequence. The new study shows that this is not true.

Do you drink diet soda?