High Fructose Intake Linked to Hypertension

AURORA, Colo.As fructose consumption has increased, so has incidence of hypertension, leading researchers at the University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center to determine whether eating a diet high in fructose increases the risk of high blood pressure. For the study, which appears online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology, the researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2006).

The study involved 4,528 U.S. adults ages 18 and older with no prior history of hypertension. Study participants answered questions related to their consumption of foods and beverages such as fruit juices, soft drinks, bakery products, and candy. Results showed that people who consumed a diet of 74 grams or more per day of fructose (the equivalent of 2.5 sugary soft drinks) had a 26 percent, 30 percent, and 77 percent  higher risk for blood pressure levels of 135/85, 140/90, and 160/100 mmHg, respectively. (A normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80 mmHg.)

Our study identifies a potentially modifiable risk factor for high blood pressure. However, well-planned prospective randomized clinical studies need to be completed to see if low fructose diets will prevent the development of hypertension and its complications, said Dr. Diana I. Jalal.