Do sugary drinks increase your blood pressure?

This study examined if drinking sugary drinks raises blood pressure. 

Fizzy or sugary drinks are known to cause weight gain and tooth cavities but recent studies suggest that they may also increase blood pressure. Blood pressure is a measurement of how forcefully blood flows through arteries. Having high blood pressure (hypertension) can damage arteries and lead to heart attacks, strokes, arrhythmias (heart rhythm disturbances), and even kidney damage.

This study therefore looked at the relationship between the dietary intake of sugary drinks and blood pressure. 

This study carried out a review of a total of 12 previous studies (involving 409,707 participants) that investigated the relationship between sugary beverages and blood pressure. It was found that all 12 studies showed that increased sugary drink intake correlated with high blood pressure. It was found that drinking sugary beverages increased the number of people presenting with high blood pressure as well as increasing the overall average blood pressure levels.

One study found that young people drinking more than 3 sugary drinks per day had an 87% increased risk of developing high blood pressure. Another study found that drinking 2.5 sugary drinks per day independently increased the risk of having increased systolic blood pressure (pressure when the heart is contracting). Increased sugary drink intake of 1 serving (12 fluid oz) was associated with 1.6 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure. 

The study concluded that sugary drinks increase blood pressure and that the consumption of sugary drinks should be reduced when trying to reduce high blood pressure.

There is a possibility that participants in these studies who drink more sugary drinks are more likely to be involved in other lifestyle and dietary practices that may increase their blood pressure and thus drinking sugary drinks may not solely account for the rise in blood pressure. 

If you, or someone you know, have high blood pressure, talk to a dietician or doctor about the benefits of reducing sugary drink consumption on blood pressure and substituting it for healthier options such as orange juice.