Association between sugar-sweetened beverages and type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis

Many studies have been carried out to examine the association between sugar-sweetened beverages and the incident of type 2 diabetes, but results are mixed. The aim of the present study was to estimate the association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

PubMed, Springer Link and Elsevier databases were searched up to July 2014. Prospective studies published on the association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes were included. The pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for highest versus lowest category of sugar-sweetened beverages were estimated using a random-effects model.

The pooled effect estimate of sugar-sweetened beverage intake was 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-1.39) for type 2 diabetes; stratified by geographic region of the studies, the pooled effect estimates were 1.34 (95% CI 0.74-2.43), 1.30 (95% CI 1.20-1.40), 1.29 (95% CI 1.09-1.53) in Asia, the USA and Europe,respectively; the pooled effect estimates were 1.26 (95% CI 1.16-1.36) with adjusting body mass index and 1.38 (95% CI 1.23-1.56) without adjusting body mass index.

Our findings suggested that sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and the association was attenuated by adjustment for body mass index. Specifically, the associations were also found to be significantly positive in the USA and Europe.