Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in African Americans: Findings From the Jackson Heart Study

Background: There is a paucity of data investigating whether consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among African Americans. OBJECTIVE: To determine, in a prospective analysis, whether SSB consumption is associated with increased risk of T2D among African Americans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND Methods: Using a community-based prospective investigation of Jackson Heart Study adult participants from 2004 to 2010, we estimated risk of T2D by frequency of SSB consumption adjusting for age, sex, marital status, CVD, total energy intake, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status, and body mass index (BMI) as a potential mediator. Results: Among 3,223 study participants, the mean age was 53±12.5 years, 63% were women, and 66% had at least a college education. Total energy intake, and intakes of carbohydrates, fat, sugar and caffeine increased with increasing SSB consumption, and 21% of participants consumed ≥1 SSB per day. Mean follow-up was 7.5 years with 24,124 person-years, and there were 561 cases of incident diabetes. After age and sex adjustment, SSB consumption was not significantly associated with T2D risk: hazard ratio (HR): 1.61 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.58-4.48] for 1-4 times/month, HR: 1.77 [95%CI: 0.66-4.76] for 2-6 times/week, and HR: 1.81 [95%CI: 0.67-4.85] for ≥ 1/day (p for trend=0.291) compared to <1/month. In fully-adjusted models, associations remained positive but non-significant and adjustment for BMI attenuated the associations minimally (≤3%). Conclusions: Although HRs tended to increase with higher intake, the frequency of SSB intake was not significantly associated with risk of T2D in African Americans. Larger studies in this population with consideration of other aspects of the diet are warranted.