Consumption of Added Sugars and Indicators of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among US Adolescents

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jean A. Welsh, Emory University; Andrea Sharma, Emory University; Solveig Argeseanu, Emory University; Miriam Benedicta Vos, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2011-01-25
• Publisher: American Heart Association
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2011 American Heart Association. All rights reserved.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.972166
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Circulation
• ISSN: 0009-7322
• Volume: 123
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 249
• End Page: 257
• Grant/Funding Information: No specific funding was obtained for this study.; Dr. Vos is supported in part by a career award from the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K23DK080953) and by the Children’s Digestive Health and Nutrition Foundation.
• Keywords: Peripheral Vascular Disease; INSULIN; DYSLIPIDEMIA; triglycerides; risk factors; FOODS; Science & Technology; lipids; WOMEN; ENERGY-INTAKE; DIETARY FRUCTOSE; Cardiovascular System & Cardiology; GLUCOSE; TASK-FORCE; Sugars; Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; diabetes mellitus; HOMEOSTASIS; cardiovascular diseases; HEALTH
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Background- Whereas increased carbohydrate and sugar consumption has been associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk among adults, little is known about the impact of high consumption of added sugars (caloric sweeteners) among US adolescents. Methods and Results- In a cross-sectional study of 2157 US adolescents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2004, dietary data from one 24-hour recall were merged with added sugar content data from the US Department of Agriculture MyPyramid Equivalents databases. Measures of cardiovascular disease risk were estimated by added sugar consumption level (<10%, 10 to <15%, 15 to <20%, 20 to <25%, 25 to <30%, and 30% of total energy). Multivariable means were weighted to be representative of US adolescents and variances adjusted for the complex sampling methods. Daily consumption of added sugars averaged 21.4% of total energy. Added sugars intake was inversely correlated with mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (mmol/L) which were 1.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36 to 1.44) among the lowest consumers and 1.28 (95% CI 1.23 to 1.33) among the highest (P trend =0.001). Added sugars were positively correlated with low-density lipoproteins (P trend =0.01) and geometric mean triglycerides (P trend =0.05). Among the lowest and highest consumers, respectively, low-density lipoproteins (mmol/L) were 2.24 (95% CI 2.12 to 2.37) and 2.44 (95% CI 2.34 to 2.53), and triglycerides (mmol/L) were 0.81 (95% CI 0.74, 0.88) and 0.89 (95% CI 0.83 to 0.96). Among those overweight/obese (85th percentile body-mass-index), added sugars were positively correlated with the homeostasis model assessment (P linear trend =0.004). Conclusion- Consumption of added sugars among US adolescents is positively associated with multiple measures known to increase cardiovascular disease risk.