Sugar and Cardiovascular Disease
in the Non-Diabetic
Disclaimer: All information provided should be considered as generalizations and not as specific information for any individual. Nor should this information be considered medical advice. This information needs to be considered in consultation with your family physician. Specific food allergies or medical conditions may make the provided information unsuitable for some individuals.
Summary: In the recent American Heart Association Scientific Statement on Sugar and Cardiovascular disease3: "No data suggest that sugar intake per se is advantageous, and some suggest it may be detrimental". Sugar may have a negative effect on your cholesterol profile. Remember, sugar has no nutritional value other than to provide calories.
The Data: Several studies in the 1960s and 1970s found an association between increased consumption of sugar and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (i.e. heart disease and stroke). A few recent studies examined this relationship and found no association but did not account for all possible dietary sources of sugar.1,2
The recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association nicely summarized the issues surrounding sugar intake and risk of heart disease.3
Multiple studies have demonstrated an inverse association between dietary sucrose and high-density lipoprotein (HDL, the "good" cholesterol) cholesterol. Meaning more sugar can result in lower levels of "good" cholesterol. Further, other studies have demonstrated an elevation of plasma triglyceride concentrations with diets high in sucrose (>20% of energy coming from sucrose).
There are no studies demonstrating a definite link between sugar intake and an increased risk of diabetes. In fact, some have demonstrated a increased risk of diabetes with a low carbohydrate diet possibly related to the higher content of fat in those diets (high fat content resulting in obesity which in turn increases the risk for diabetes).
The recently published Nurses' Health Study demonstrated that women with high glycemic load diets had a greater than two fold risk of heart disease within 10 years - the period of follow up.
Diets with high glycemic index have been demonstrated to put individuals at higher risk of future diabetes.4,5
In summary, long term data about the risks of cardiovascular disease with increased sugar consumption are unavailable. However, the risk of increasing plasma triglycerides and lowering the "good" HDL cholesterol are cardiovascular risks in themselves.
Dr. Lawrence Korngut, M.D.
Chief Neurology Resident
London Health Sciences Centre
London, Ontario, Canada
References
1. Jacobs DR., Meyer KA. et al., The Iowa Women's Health Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1998;68:248-257.
2. Bolton-Smith C., Woodward M. et al., Coronary heart disease: prevalence and dietary sugars in Scotland. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 1994;48:119-122.
3. Howard BV, Wylie-Rosett J., Sugar and Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation 2002;106:523-527.
4. Salmeron J. et al., Dietary fiber, glycemic load, and risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in women. Journal of the American Medical Association 1997;277:472-477.
5. Salmeron J. et al., Dietary fiber, glycemic load, and risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in men. Diabetes Care 1997;20:545-550.