The study analyzed data from nearly 100,000 women ages 50 to 79 who were involved in a major project called the Women’s Health Initiative, in which participants periodically answered a questionnaire about the consumption of sugary drinks.
The suspected link between the consumption of sugary drinks and liver cancer is the focus of a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. According to the study’s authors, “among postmenopausal women, compared to those who consume three or fewer servings of sugary drinks per month, people who consume one or more sugary drinks per day have more liver cancer and higher death rates from chronic liver disease” .
I study
The study analyzed data from nearly 100,000 women ages 50 to 79 who were involved in a major research project called the Women’s Health Initiative, in which participants periodically answered a questionnaire about the consumption of sugary drinks. During nearly 21 years of observation, 207 women developed liver cancer and 148 died of liver disease. Compared to those who consumed three or fewer servings of sugary drinks per month, those who consumed more than one per day had an 85% higher risk of developing liver cancer and a 68% higher risk of dying from liver disease. If drinks sweetened with artificial sweeteners are considered instead, the risk of cancer was 17% higher, while the differences in mortality were zero.
The results
In presenting their conclusions, the researchers are cautious, emphasizing that the study’s features are not such as to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between the consumption of sugary drinks and the onset of liver disease. However, the results obtained are worthy of further study by scientists: “Future studies could confirm these results and identify the biological mechanisms of this link,” the researchers explain.
Source: TG 24 Sky
I am Barbara Redford, a professional journalist and writer with extensive experience in news reporting. I have been writing for The News Dept since 2019, covering topics related to health and wellness. My passion is to keep people informed about the latest developments in healthcare and the medical industry.
