Sugary drinks in childhood linked to higher blood pressure risk decades later

A long-term study of nearly 26,000 people found that regular consumption of sugary drinks from adolescence into adulthood was associated with a greater risk of hypertension, while whole fruit, water and milk were linked with lower estimated risk.

A large long-term study has added fresh weight to concerns about sugary drinks in childhood, finding that regular intake of sweetened beverages from the early years into adulthood was linked with a higher risk of hypertension later in life. The research, published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, followed nearly 26,000 people and suggests that what children drink may matter for decades, not just for the day in question.

The study tracked participants from adolescence into adulthood, with an average age of 12 at the start and 36 by the end of follow-up. Researchers looked separately at sugar-sweetened drinks, fruit juice, fruit and overall fructose intake, and found that the key issue was not simply how much fructose people consumed, but where it came from. Over the course of the study, 1,625 participants developed hypertension.

Those who drank at least two servings of sugary beverages a day had a substantially higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those who consumed them only rarely. Individual drinks also carried different associations: each daily serving of soda was tied to a higher risk, and sports drinks were linked to an even steeper increase. Fruit juice, often seen as a healthier choice, was also associated with greater risk when consumed in larger amounts, although the pattern varied by juice type.

The study also used statistical models to estimate what might happen if one daily sugary drink or juice was replaced with another option. Swapping it for fruit produced the biggest estimated reduction in risk, while milk and water were also associated with lower risk. That said, the authors stressed that these were model-based estimates rather than results from a direct trial of beverage substitution, so they show association rather than proof of cause and effect.

Harvard researchers involved in the work said the findings reinforce the importance of healthy drinking habits starting early in life, especially as hypertension becomes more common among children and young adults. The message from the study is not that fruit should be removed from the diet, but that whole fruit appears to be a better choice than juice, and that water, milk and other unsweetened drinks are preferable to regular sugary beverages.