Discoveries: Sugar-sweetened beverages linked to higher risk of kidney disease

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to a higher likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease, a new study has found.



The community-based study of African-American adults was published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

To further contribute to the ever-growing evidence against the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, lead author of the study, Casey Rebholz of John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and her colleagues sought to provide a better understanding on how beverages affect kidney health.

Working with 3000 participants, the investigators assessed beverage intake through a frequency questionnaire administered over a four-year period and subsequently followed up after a space of five years.

The findings revealed that six percent (189) of the participants developed CKD over a median follow up of eight years and that participants in the top tertile for consuming this beverage pattern were 61 percent more likely to develop CKD than those at the bottom tertile.

“There is a lack of comprehensive information on the health implications of a wide range of beverage options that are available in food supply,” the lead author explained.

Rebholz added that there is a dire need to discover which types and pattern of beverages are associated with kidney disease risk.