Are Artificial Sweeteners Associated with CVD and Stroke Risks?

Artificial sweeteners , including popular erythritol, are generally recommended for patients with diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or obesity. However, erythritol is nearly 70% sweet as table sugar and poorly metabolized in the body. Researchers from the Cleaveland Clinic, USA, investigated the effect of erythritol on cardiovascular event risk in patients who underwent cardiac risk assessment (n = 1,157) and metabolomics analysis in the USA (n = 2,149) and Europe (n = 833).

Erythritol consumption was associated with an increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events , including nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke , or death. Erythritol increased platelet reactivity and thrombosis formation in the blood. In a pilot study with eight healthy volunteers, erythritol consumption was found to elevate the plasma erythritol levels, which resulted in increased platelet reactivity and…