Diet Soda Increases Risk of Heart Problems & Stroke

Although diet soda is supposed to be better for your waistline, it may pose a serious risk to your heart. Research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2011 showed that drinking diet soda can put you at a greater risk for vascular events, such as strokes caused by the blocking and rupturing of a blood vessel (ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, respectively).

Since 2001, the study followed a multi-ethnic group of 2,564 people over 40 years of age. Subjects who drank diet soda every day had a 61 percent higher risk of vascular events than those who drank no soda. This result was found even after accounting for factors such as participants' age, sex, smoking status, exercise habits and race/ethnicity. And stroke risk was 48 percent higher for the daily diet soda drinkers than non-drinkers, even after accounting for histories of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disease. Stats like this put a whole new and creepy twist on us saying that those skinny jeans are "to die for."

Since there was no reporting of types of soda consumed, the researchers were unable to analyze if there's a difference in stroke risk between different brands of soda. They were also unable to say what specifically about diet soda increases stroke risk (like coloring or sweeteners, for example).

Strokes are pretty damn serious ladies (we've all seen Legends of the Fall). So while it may be delicious and not have calories, diet soda just may not be worth it in the long run.

Source:
American Heart Association (2011, February 9). Diet soda may raise odds of vascular events; salt linked to stroke risk. EurekAlert! Retrieved from http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/aha-dsm020311.php