Cohort studycited by the Tayebat archiveabstract only checked A-SOD-14 standard review
Sweetened drinks and heart disease in men
Sweetened beverage consumption, incident coronary heart disease, and biomarkers of risk in men.
Overview
de Koning L et al.. Circulation 2012 · PMID 22412070 · DOI 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.067017
Men with highest sugary-drink intake had 20% more heart disease; diet drinks showed no link.
Does the study support the specific claim? Partly · Methodological quality: high
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Are SSB and ASB associated with CHD and biomarkers?
- How was the study done?
Prospective cohort (HPFS) 22 years.
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
42,883; 3,683 CHD cases; Male health professionals
- What was actually found?
Top vs bottom SSB quartile RR 1.20 (1.09-1.33); ASB RR 1.02 (0.93-1.12); SSB associated with higher TG, CRP, IL-6, TNF receptors and lower HDL, Lp(a), leptin.
- How large was the observed effect?
RR 1.20 (SSB); 1.02 (ASB)
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Sugary, not diet, drinks linked to heart disease.
- What are the study's limitations?
Observational design; residual confounding possible; Self-reported dietary intake
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
High.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Causation.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- de Koning L, Malik VS, Kellogg MD, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB
- Journal
- Circulation
- Year
- 2012
- Identifier
- PMID 22412070 DOI 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.067017 · PMC3368965
- Verification
- verified – PubMed E-utilities efetch, 2026-10-25
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
No COI statement; NIH, CIHR grants
2. Research question
Are SSB and ASB associated with CHD and biomarkers?
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Cohort study – Prospective cohort (HPFS) 22 years.
- Population
Male health professionals
- Country
USA
- Period
22 years
- Sample size
42,883; 3,683 CHD cases
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
not stated in abstract
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Cumulative SSB and ASB intake
- Comparator
Bottom quartile
- Endpoints
Fatal/non-fatal CHD; biomarkers
- Statistical methods
Proportional hazards
5. Actual results
- Results
Top vs bottom SSB quartile RR 1.20 (1.09-1.33); ASB RR 1.02 (0.93-1.12); SSB associated with higher TG, CRP, IL-6, TNF receptors and lower HDL, Lp(a), leptin.
- Absolute risks
not reported
- Authors' conclusion
SSB associated with increased CHD risk and adverse biomarkers; ASB not associated.
6. Strengths
- Large, long follow-up
- Biomarkers
7. Weaknesses
- Observational design; residual confounding possible
- Self-reported dietary intake
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- ROBINS-E
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- some concerns
- Rationale
Confounding possible.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
Modest RR.
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Supports C-SOD-03; contradicts C-SOD-10.
11. Independent contrary findings
ASB null.
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
High.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Good cohort.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | high |
| Risk of bias | some concerns |
| Precision of results | high |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | replicated |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | high |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | essentially correct but incomplete |
14. Open questions
None.
15. Linked fact checks
- Sugar-sweetened soft drinks raise the risk of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular death and early death (e.g., two or more daily servings: +35% coronary heart disease in women; +31% cardiovascular and +21% total mortality). – Studies supporting the claim
- Diet soda is not a safe alternative to sugary soda: artificially sweetened drinks are linked to higher mortality, especially circulatory deaths. – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim
Use by the Tayebat archive
Note: according to the archive, the studies were compiled by the archive operators. Whether Dr. Elawady himself cited this study is not established.
- What the archive says about the study
Listed in the archive bibliography only (no archive interpretation card).
- A. What was actually studied?
SSB/ASB and CHD in men.
- B. What did the authors find?
SSB RR 1.20; ASB null.
- C. What conclusions do the authors themselves draw?
As above.
- D. What does the archive derive from it?
Supports heart harm of soda.
- E. Is this derivation scientifically justified?
For SSB yes; ASB null result contradicts the archive's 'neither diet' framing and is not mentioned.
- Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)
- essentially correct but incomplete