New genetic findings: Sugary drinks increase the risk of atrial fibrillation

New genetic findings: Sugary drinks increase the risk of atrial fibrillation

In a recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers used Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine the associations between pure fruit juice (PFJ) and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

background

Cardiovascular disease is a major health problem worldwide. Risk factors include high body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption and smoking habits.

SSBs and PFJ are associated with CVD; However, the causal connection is uncertain. SSBs may be an elastic nutritional target for reducing CVD risk in women; However, PFJ may be a primary predictor.

However, several investigations have not found a direct link between SSBs and CVD. Using PFJ can increase the absorption of important nutrients; However, due to the high free sugar and energy content, you should limit your intake.

The health consequences of PFJ consumption are inconsistent and dietary recommendations vary from country to country. The association between PFJ consumption and CVD mortality is unclear.

About the study

The researchers of the present study investigated whether consumption of SSB and PFJ increases the risk of CVD.

Researchers examined genetically estimated causal relationships between sugar-sweetened beverages and pure fruit juices [obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of European individuals] and six CVDs [hypertension, angina pectoris, atrial fibrillation (AF), coronary atherosclerosis (CA), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and heart failure (HF)] using Mendelian randomization.

The team obtained dietary intake data from the UK Biobank based on the Oxford WebQ 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires completed by 85,852 people. The AF GWAS data included 3,818 cases with 333,381 controls. The angina data included 10,083 patients and 452,927 disease-free individuals.

The AMI data included 3,927 patients and 333,272 controls. Coronary atherosclerosis data included 14,334 patients with 346,860 controls. Heart failure GWAS data included 1,405 patients with 359,789 controls. The hypertension GWAS data included 54,358 patients with 408,652 controls.

The researchers used the inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach for the analysis, supplemented by the Cochran Q test, weighted median, MR Egger regressions, MR pleiotropy, Bonferroni corrections and funnel plots.

To ensure that the primary analysis results were robust, they calculated F-values ​​as supplementary tests to set more relaxed limits for disclosure of instrumental variables (IVs) and selected IVs through the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are strongly associated with PFJ and SSBs.

They determined odds ratios (OR) for the associations between SSB, PFJ intake, and CVD.

Results and discussion

MR analysis showed genetically causal positive associations between sugar-sweetened beverages and atrial fibrillation (OR, 1.02) and negative associations between pure fruit juice and angina (OR, 0.97).

However, there were no causal associations between SSB and PFJ intake and other cardiovascular disease risks. Complementary MR methods produced similar results.

The leave-one-out analysis showed that individual SNP removal did not change the causal relationships, indicating that the primary results were reliable and robust.

Taking SSB and PFJ have different substance compositions that may increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation while reducing the risk of angina. SSBs contain dietary additives such as sodium citrate, which can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation over time.

Excessive consumption of SSBs can trigger an inflammatory response, leading to higher levels of circulating inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor receptors 1 and 2 (TNF-r1). r2). Higher IL-6 levels are associated with an increase in AF burden and mortality.

PFJ, on the other hand, has high levels of polyphenols, some of which have anti-inflammatory properties. Pomegranate juice may lower inflammatory indicators such as vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin and IL-6 due to its high concentration of hydrolyzable tannins.

The anti-inflammatory properties of PFJ may reduce the occurrence of angina by blocking platelet aggregation and preventing the formation of coronary plaques.

Conclusions

The study results showed a positive association between sugar-sweetened drinks and atrial fibrillation, whereas pure fruit juice had a negative association with angina.

The results should help us better understand the effects of long-term SSB/PFJ consumption on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and provide nutritional recommendations to people at risk. Patients with atrial fibrillation should limit their SSB consumption to prevent potential pathogenic dangers, while individuals can include PFJ in their diet as a protective factor against angina.

However, further clinical and basic research is needed to confirm these results. Future research should focus on non-European ancestry groups and examine data on different types of SSBs/PFJ and consumption rates to better understand their impact on CVD.

Further research is needed to improve the understanding of their protective and pathogenic properties and to evaluate their potential utility for clinical prevention and therapy of cardiovascular diseases.

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