Drinking more than 2 liters of artificially sweetened beverages (equivalent to an all-day fast food diet soda) per week was associated with a 20 percent increased risk of an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation compared to those who drank none at all. . A new study has been discovered.

Atrial fibrillation, also known as A-fib, is an irregular heartbeat that is often described by many people with symptoms of the heart in the chest “shaking,” “trembling,” or “flip-flopping.”

Drinking about 4 ounces of pure, unsweetened juice, such as orange juice or vegetable juice, increases the risk of this condition by 10 percent, whereas drinking a similar amount of sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of this condition by 10 percent. It was shown to reduce the risk by 8 percent. Research revealed that he had atrial fibrillation.

Penny Chris Etherton, professor emeritus of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University, said: “This is the first reported link between non-caloric and low-calorie sweeteners, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages, and an increased risk of atrial fibrillation.” This is the first study.” In a statement. She was not involved in the new study.

Although the study could only show an association between sweetened drinks and A-fib, the association remained even after genetic susceptibility to the condition was taken into account. A 2017 study found that people with European ancestry had about a 22 percent risk of inheriting the disease.

“More research is needed on these beverages to confirm these results and fully understand their health effects on heart disease and other health conditions,” said the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee member. said Chris Etherton.

“Water is the best choice for now, and based on this study, non-calorie and low-calorie sweetened beverages should be limited or avoided,” she added.

Atrial fibrillation is dangerous and on the rise

Atrial fibrillation is the leading cause of stroke in the United States. Additionally, strokes related to A-fib tend to be “more severe than strokes due to other underlying causes,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Atrial fibrillation can also cause blood clots and heart failure, and “can increase your risk of heart attack, dementia, and kidney disease, all of which are likely long-term risks,” says the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Gregory Marcus, professor of medicine and associate director of cardiology research at UCSF Health, told CNN in a preliminary interview.

According to the Heart Rhythm Association, which represents more than 7,000 experts in heart rhythm disorders from more than 90 countries, nearly 40 million people worldwide have atrial fibrillation, including 6 million in the United States alone.

Many of these people suffer from chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue. But for others, A-fib is asymptomatic and can be a silent killer. However, if the condition is detected, it can be treated with medications, lifestyle changes, and, if necessary, surgery to slow or restore the heart’s normal rhythm.

The rate of atrial fibrillation in the US population is increasing. The CDC estimates that approximately 12 million Americans will have A-fib by 2030.

“Age is one of the most important risk factors, and as the population ages, this disease is becoming more common,” Marcus says.

The obesity epidemic also contributes to the increase in numbers, along with other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, smoking, and alcohol use.

Tom Saunders, emeritus professor of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London, said in a statement: “Previous research has shown that high consumption of soft drinks is associated with an increased risk of AF (atrial fibrillation). It has been shown that there are.” He was not involved in the new research.

“It is well known that the risk of atrial fibrillation is associated with type 2 diabetes, binge drinking of alcohol (commonly referred to as holiday hearts), and illicit drug use (cocaine),” Sattar said.

Possibility of “additional health risks”

The study, published Tuesday in the journal Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, analyzed data from around 202,000 people participating in a large biomedical database called the UK Biobank. The participants were followed for an average of 10 years, and the ages of the participants ranged from 37 to 73, and more than half were women.

People who consumed more artificially sweetened beverages were more likely to be female, younger, heavier, and had a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes, the study found. People who drank more sugary drinks were more likely to be male, younger, heavier, and have a higher prevalence of heart disease.

According to the statement, people who drank both sugar-sweetened beverages and pure juice were “likely to have higher total sugar intake than those who drank artificially sweetened beverages.”

“Our findings conclusively conclude that some beverages pose a greater health risk than others because of the complexity of our diets and the fact that some people may drink more than one type of beverage.” “We can’t attach it,” said study lead author Dr. Ning Jianwang, a professor at the university. Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

“However, based on these findings, we recommend that people reduce or even avoid artificial sweeteners and sugar-sweetened beverages whenever possible,” Wang said in a statement. “Don’t take for granted that drinking low-sugar, low-calorie, artificially sweetened beverages is healthy; it may pose potential health risks.”