US Study Links Childhood Sugary Drink Intake to Higher Adult Hypertension Risk

A 25‑year American Heart Association cohort study of more than 25,000 participants who were between 9 and 16 years old found that frequent consumption of sugary drinks and fruit juices during childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension in adulthood. Participants who drank 1.5 or more servings of sugary beverages per day had a 52 % higher risk of hypertension compared with those who drank fewer than three servings per week; fruit juice consumption of the same frequency was linked to a 35 % higher risk, while soda and sports drinks were associated with 23 % and 36 % higher risks respectively.

The researchers modeled dietary substitutions, estimating that replacing fruit juice with whole fruit could cut hypertension risk by 19 %, and swapping sugary drinks for water or milk could reduce risk by up to 13 %. The authors suggest limiting sugary beverages, promoting water, milk, and whole fruit, and considering policy measures such as taxes and school nutrition improvements. Limitations include the observational design, reliance on self‑reported intake, and a sample that was 96 % non‑Hispanic White, which may affect generalizability.