BBC doctor issues warning over common drink 'linked to increased stroke risk'

A BBC doctor has highlighted a common drink as being “particularly associated” with a high risk of strokes.

Dr Xand van Tulleken was speaking to BBC Morning Live on Tuesday (October 1) about the expected “large increase” in the number of strokes in the UK – some 50% by 2024.

He acknowledged that a large part of that expected increase was due to the fact that our population is getting older. “Age is a big risk factor for stroke,” he said. “But there are lots of other factors as well.

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Alongside the usual suspects that most people would likely already know are associated with poor health – smoking, drinking alcohol, diabetes, lack of exercise, high blood pressure and cholesterol – he also mentioned a high intake of ultra-processed food, and particularly fizzy drinks, as being “particularly associated” with a high risk of stroke.

It follows the release of new research by the University of Galway, which shows both sugar-sweetened fizzy drinks, and those with artificial sweeteners, were linked with a 22% increased risk of stroke, according to RTE.

Per capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks has been on the decline in the UK for several years, according to Statista, whose data forecasts consumption to decrease by a further 5% between now and 2028.

They remain very popular however, with total consumption in 2022 reaching almost six billion litres.

Xand described the list of risk factors as “all associated with life in the modern UK.”

“As those things go up, so our risk of stroke increases as well.”

One viewer wrote in to the show to say that her husband, who suffered from two strokes, did not have the typical symptoms. She said she thought “all strokes were different”.

Dr Xand agreed, saying there had been real success in a public information campaign encouraging people to think of strokes as a ‘brain attack’, that requires rapid response similar to that of a heart attack.

He described a stroke as a “failure of blood supply to the brain, and that bit of the brain dies”.

“We talk about Act FAST: Face, Arms, Speech, and Time,” he said. “A droopy face, weakness in your arms or if your speech has changed, act quickly and call 999.”

“The key point is if you think there is something wrong with your brain, talk to your doctor. It is a medical emergency.”