Cut the Cokes and Lower Your Blood Pressure!

We’ve heard a lot recently about the ill effects of drinking too many sugar-sweetened beverages (like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Seven-Up, and so on).  They’ve been linked to an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.  But so far, their effect on blood pressure has been uncertain.  This is changed by an online publication in the journal Circulation.

The subjects were 810 adults with pre- or stage 1 hypertension (systolic pressure, 120-160 mm Hg; diastolic, 80-95 mm Hg) who were participating in a trial of changes in lifestyle to lower blood pressure;  the focus was on weight loss, exercise, and a healthy diet. 

At the start of the study, participants drank an average of 10.5 ounces of sugar-sweetened sodas a day, equivalent to just under one serving a day.  At the end of the 18-month study average consumption had fallen by half a serving a day;  and both systolic and diastolic blood pressures had fallen, significantly (-0.7 and -0.4 mm Hg, respectively).    

After allowing for possible confounding factors, the relationship between sugar-drink intake and blood pressure was defined.  This supported the conclusion that a reduction in sugar-sweetened drinks by one serving a day would lead to an average fall in systolic pressure of 1.8 mm Hg, and in diastolic pressure of 1.1 mm Hg.  There was no association between sugar-free sodas (e.g. Diet Coke) or caffeine intake and blood pressure changes.

Dropping one serving a day of sugar-soda shouldn’t present too much of a problem.  The average consumption for American adults is 2.3 servings (28 ounces) a day.  And one could always substitute sugar-free sodas.  No excuses.   Some might criticize that the actual size of the reduction (almost 2 mm Hg) is small, but “even small reductions in blood pressure are projected to have substantial health benefits . . .” according to the principal author of the study.