Added sugars in diet and risk of total and cause‐specific mortality in a large US cohort

Abstract

Consumption of added sugars is increasing worldwide and parallels the global rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular (CVD) and type 2 diabetes. Although previous studies have linked added sugars intake with incidence of these diseases, its association to mortality is unknown. Participants (n=435,674) aged 50 – 71 years from the NIH‐AARP Diet and Health Study with no history of major chronic disease at baseline were followed‐up for 10 years. Intake of added sugars was assessed at baseline using a 124‐item food frequency questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for total mortality and mortality of cancer and CVD were estimated in multivariable models adjusted for potential risk factors using Cox proportional hazards regression. We identified 18,904 deaths in men and 9,786 deaths in women. After multivariable adjustment, intake of added sugars was no longer positively associated with the risk of total mortality in either men (Ptrend = 0.37) or women (Ptrend = 0.11). The investigation of cause‐specific mortality revealed only weak inverse association between added sugars and risk of CVD in men (HRQ5 vs Q1 = 0.85; 95%CI = 0.77 – 0.93; Ptrend = 0.008). In this US cohort, added sugars were not associated with all‐cause mortality, and only showed a weak protective effect for CVD in men. Supported by the Intramural Research Program of the U.S. DHHS NIH/NCI.