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Martínez-González MA, Ruiz-Canela M. Heart 2015;101: 1935–1937. 10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308426

The authors of this commentary drill into the substantive paper published in Heart (Heart 2015; doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2015-307542). This population-based cohort study, was carried out with over forty thousand men. After adjusting for confounders such as family history of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, BMI and some dietary factors, the risk of heart failure 'among participants consuming ≥2 servings (200 ml) per day was 23% relatively higher (95% CI 1.12 to 1.35) compared to their non-consumer counterparts.' As background, in the UK there over half a million people living with heart failure with survival estimates of only 10% after 10 years. The findings of this study however, are in contrast with the Cardiovascular Health Study that found no association. But then, this latter study included elderly participants with lower consumption of moderate-to-high sweetened beverage consumption. It is conceded that sweetened beverages may comprise a component of a sub-optimal diet with a paucity, for example, of fruit and vegetables.