Study finds links between sugary drinks and high blood pressure

Drinking beverages sweetened with sugar could cause high blood pressure, according to a new study published in the journal Hypertension.

The study, covering more than 2,500 people, shows that for every extra can of sugary drink consumed per day, participants on average had a higher systolic blood pressure by 1.6 mmHg and a higher diastolic blood pressure by 0.8 mmHg.

This difference was statistically significant even after adjusting for factors such as weight and height, the study found.

The study did not examine the mechanism that might link sugary drinks with blood pressure. Researchers, however, suggest that raised uric acid, that results from consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage, might raise blood pressure by reducing the levels of nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes the lining of the blood vessels.

The association between sugary drinks and higher blood pressure was especially strong in people who consumed a lot of salt as well as sugar. Diet drinks were linked with lower blood pressure levels in some analyses, but the association was not consistent or strong, according to the study.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide. Someone with a blood pressure level in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) of 135 over 85 is twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as someone with a reading of 115 over 75, it noted.