Popular artificial sweetener linked to potentially dangerous heart risk

Key Points:

• A new study presented at the ESC Cardiology Congress found that higher blood levels of xylitol, a common artificial sweetener, are linked to an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) such as heart attack and stroke.
• The research followed over 17,700 Canadian and British participants, revealing that those with the highest xylitol levels had a 57% higher risk of cardiovascular death or events in Canada and an 18% higher risk in the UK over long-term follow-ups.
• The association between xylitol levels and cardiovascular risk remained significant even after adjusting for factors like age, gender, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, and lipid levels, suggesting a dose-dependent relationship.
• Although the study is observational and does not establish causation, experts warn that the findings raise concerns about the cardiovascular safety of xylitol, especially as its use in products continues to grow.
• Cardiologists recommend reducing or avoiding artificial sweeteners to lower cardiovascular risk, emphasizing the need for further research to better understand xylitol's health effects.