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Fructose linked to heart disease risk in children

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Consuming high levels of fructose - particularly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup - may put adolescents at risk for receiving unhealthy cholesterol tests, according to a new study, which suggests that the sugar increase a young person's risk of developing heart disease later in life.

High-fructose corn syrup is added to many products to sweeten them and make them more attractive to consumers. It also has a long shelf life. However, researchers are only now coming to understand the potential health consequences of relying on many products containing the sugar.

For the study, researchers examined the diets of 559 young people between the ages of 14 and 19. The team also screened the participants for potential health problems. The findings revealed that those who consumed the most fructose were more likely to have unhealthy cholesterol, high blood pressure, elevated glucose levels and impaired insulin tolerance.

"Adolescents consume the most fructose so it's really important to not only measure the levels of fructose but to look at what it might be doing to their bodies currently and, hopefully, to look at cardiovascular disease outcomes as they grow," said Norman Pollock, one of the researchers on the study.