Sugar Consumption now Found to Raise Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Teenagers

by | Sep 25, 2012 | 2010, Cardiovascular Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS.

The American Heart Association estimated in 2006 that more than 81 million people suffered from 1 or more forms of cardiovascular disease (73.6 million with high blood pressure, 17.6 million with heart disease, 6.4 million suffering a stroke, and 5.8 million suffering from heart failure). Cardiovascular Disease claimed 831,272 lives in 2006 (1 of every 2.9 deaths) compared to 559,888 for cancer (1). Cardiovascular Disease cost our healthcare system $475 billion in 2009 (2).

While cardiovascular disease is a condition most often associated with the elderly, more than 150,000 people under the age of 65 died from the condition in 2006 (1). Now a new study (3) has suggested that elevated sugar consumption may increase cardiovascular disease risk even in teenagers. The USDA estimated that sugar consumption per capita hit an all-time high in 1999 with 155 pounds (4).

In the NationalHealth and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2004 (6,7), 2157 US teenagers (between 12 and 18 years of age) living in the US between 1999 and 2004 provided blood samples as well as dietary data from one 24-hour recall questionnaire which the researchers then merged this data with the US Department of Agriculture MyPyramidEquivalents databases as the MyPyramid Equivalents provided added sugar data for foods (8).  The researchers then divided the teenagers up into groups based on the % of total calories from added sugar (<10%, 10to <15%, 15 to <20%, 20 to <25%, 25 to <30%, and30%).

Across the entire group, average sugar content of the diet was 21.4% of total calories (an extra 476 calories per day due to added sugar). Compared to those in the lowest added sugar intake group (< 10%), those in the highest added sugar intake group (> 30%) had 9% lower HDL levels (49.4 vs. 54 mg/dL) while LDL cholesterol levels were 8% higher (94.3 vs. 86.7 mg/dL) as well as 10 % higher  triglycerides (79 vs. 71.7 mg/dL). Those in the highest added sugar group also had 35% lower levels of fiber (9.8 vs. 14.9 g/day) while those teenagers classified as overweight/obese (> 85th percentile body-mass-index) had 22% higher levels of fasting insulin levels (139 vs. 108 Pico moles/L)

Citing research showing evidence linking the intake of carbohydrates (9) and sugars (10) (particularly fructose (11)) to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, the authors concluded that “Consumption of added sugars among US adolescents is positively associated with multiple measures known to increase cardiovascular disease risk.”

Source: Welsh, Jean A., et al. “Consumption of Added Sugars and Indicators of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among US AdolescentsClinical Perspective.” Circulation 123.3 (2011): 249-257.

© 2011 American Heart Association, Inc.

Posted September 25, 2012.

References:

  1. “Cardiovascular Disease Statistics” – posted on the American Heart Association website.
  2. “Cardiovascular Disease Cost” – posted on the American Heart Association website.
  3. Welsh JA. Consumption of Added Sugars and Indicators of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among US Adolescents.  Circulation published online January 10, 2010 . DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.972166
  4. “Profiling Food Consumption in America” – posted on the USDA website.
  5. “CRB Fundamentals – 2008 Commodity Articles” – posted on the CRB Traders website.
  6. “NHANES” – posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Key Concepts About NHANES Survey Design.
  8. Friday J, Bowman S. MyPyramid Equivalents Database for USDA Survey Food Codes, 1994–2002. Version 1.0. [Online]. Available at the USDA website. July 7, 2009.
  9.  Parks EJ, Hellerstein MK. Carbohydrate-induced hypertriacylglycerolemia: historical perspective and review of biological mechanisms. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:412– 433.
  10. Frayn KN, Kingman SM. Dietary sugars and lipid metabolism in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995;62(1 Suppl):250S–261S; discussion 261S–263S.
  11. Bantle JP, Raatz SK, Thomas W, Georgopoulos A. Effects of dietary fructose on plasma lipids in healthy subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;72: 1128–1134.