BERLIN, Germany (WOWO) — A popular sugar substitute commonly found in chewing gum, drinks, foods and dental products is being linked to a potentially higher risk of heart attack and stroke, according to new research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress. Researchers tracking mor e than 17,700 people found that participants with the highest concentrations of xylitol in their blood had significantly higher rates of major cardiovascular events than those with the lowest levels. In one group, the difference was substantial. Participants in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging with the highest xylitol levels had a 57% greater risk of cardiovascular events involving death, heart attack or stroke over roughly six years compared with people with the lowest levels. A second group showed a similar, although smaller, association. Among participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Norfolk study, those with the highest blood xylitol concentrations had an 18% greater risk of major adverse cardiovascular events over a follow-up period of about 30 years. The researchers also reported a dose-dependent relationship in both groups, meaning cardiovascular event rates increased as measured blood concentrations of xylitol increased. The findings remained after researchers accounted for other potential cardiovascular risk factors, including age, sex, body mass index, high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used as a lower-calorie alternative to traditional sugar. The National Institutes of Health says it is used in a variety of products, including foods and beverages, chewing gum and dental-care products. The new research, however, does not establish that consuming xylitol causes heart attacks or strokes. The study was observational, meaning researchers identified an association between blood xylitol concentrations and cardiovascular outcomes but did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. There is also an important unanswered question about what the blood measurements actually represent. Xylitol is not found only in foods and consumer products. The body can produce the substance naturally during glucose metabolism. That means elevated blood levels do not necessarily indicate how much xylitol a person consumed. Dr. Marco Witkowski of Charité University Hospital in Berlin, who presented the research, said previous work had found that xylitol can increase the ability of platelets to form clots. He said artificial sweeteners are often chosen by people who believe they are healthier than sugar and are generally considered safe by regulatory agencies. But Witkowski said the new long-term findings demonstrate that more research is needed to understand the cardiovascular effects of xylitol, particularly as the amount of the sweetener used in consumer products increases. The latest findings build on earlier research examining whether certain sugar substitutes could affect the body’s clotting system. Blood clots can contribute to heart attacks and ischemic strokes by blocking blood flow to the heart or brain, which is why researchers are examining whether substances that influence platelet activity could have cardiovascular consequences. Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a London-based cardiologist and public health campaigner who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that the findings deserve serious attention. Malhotra said the potential mechanism involving xylitol and blood clotting is concerning and argued that consumers should reconsider their reliance on artificial sweeteners. “As a practicing cardiologist, I see many patients suffering from anxiety and palpitations that resolve as soon as they stop taking artificial sweeteners,” Malhotra said. He recommended reducing reliance on both processed sugars and artificial sweeteners as part of efforts to improve cardiovascular health. Researchers, however, emphasized that the findings should not be interpreted as proof that xylitol itself causes heart attacks or strokes. More research is needed to determine whether xylitol directly contributes to cardiovascular disease, whether blood xylitol is simply a marker for another underlying risk factor, or whether naturally produced xylitol plays a role in the observed association. The study also does not establish that everyone who consumes products containing xylitol faces the same level of risk. For consumers, the findings raise questions about the growing use of sugar substitutes marketed as alternatives to traditional sugar, but they do not by themselves establish that xylitol-containing products cause cardiovascular disease. The researchers say additional studies will be necessary to clarify the relationship and determine what role, if any, dietary xylitol plays in cardiovascular risk. Until then, the study adds to a growing body of research examining the long-term health effects of artificial and low-calorie sweeteners — and it puts xylitol under a closer scientific spotlight. The post Popular Sugar Substitute Xylitol Linked to Higher Heart Attack and Stroke Risk appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less