In the midst of the current obesity epidemic, several aspects of our daily lives have been implicated as contributing to the situation, including lifestyle choices, exercise, and diet. Food in particular has been consistently cited as a significant problem. Included in this group are sugary beverages, which encompass sweetened juices and soda pop, many of which are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. In addition to the empty calories and promoting tooth decay, researchers now believe that sugary beverages may affect a person’s blood pressure.

To arrive at their findings, which were published in the journal Circulation, researchers followed 810 adults over the course of 18 months. During that time, they monitored their dietary intake while measuring their blood pressure at the beginning of the study as well as at six and 18 months. After adjusting for any weight loss and controlling for the relevant risk factors, they found that reducing consumption of sugary beverages by just one serving per day was associated with drop in blood pressure over the period of the study.

Interestingly, there was no correlation observed between changes in diet (sugar-free ) beverage consumption or caffeine intake and blood pressure, suggesting that it is the sugar that is the relevant factor and not, as many people might think, caffeine. Furthermore, it may also indicate that it is sugar, and not necessarily the weight gained, that may be at the heart of the matter, and could be a good starting point for future health interventions.

Blood pressure is a measure of the force that your blood exerts against the walls of your arteries. It is the highest when your heart pushes the blood out (systolic) and falls when your heart is at rest (diastolic). Blood pressure is considered normal when the systolic/diastolic ratio is around 120/80. When the top number (systolic) rises to 139 and lower number (diastolic) rises to 89, a patient is identified as being prehypertensive. When the numbers rise above 130/89, they are considered to have high blood pressure.

High blood pressure continues to be a significant public health problem in this country. The American Heart Association estimates that over 74 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, or one in three people aged 20 years or older. Over a period of 10 years (1996-2006), mortality due to high blood pressure increased by nearly 20%. In 2006 alone, an estimated 56,500 people in the U.S. died from high blood pressure.

High blood pressure has no physical symptoms, but can have serious health consequences, including stroke, heart attack, and heart and kidney failure. To some degree, however, high blood pressure can be controlled through diet, lifestyle choices, and medication.

If you have questions or concerns, talk to your doctor. For more information on high blood pressure, visit the website for the American Heart Association (AHA). For tips on lowering your blood pressure, visit the website for the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).