Whoever pays, orders the results

Sugar magnates could hide the harmful effects of sugar on the heart

Julia Korowski, XX2 CENTURY

Representatives of the sugar industry funded research on coronary heart disease to hide the harmful effects of sweets – this is the conclusion reached by scientists from the University of California at San Diego (University of California, San Diego). The results of the analysis of archival materials are published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

The researchers gained access to the official documents of the Sugar Research Center (CIS, Eng. Sugar Research Foundation). This organization, founded by representatives of the US sugar processing industry in 1943, studied the effects of sugar on health. In 1947, it was renamed the Sugar Association and expanded to two divisions: one was engaged in education and public relations, the other (actually, CIS) – scientific developments. In the hands of scientists at the University of California, in addition to other historical documents, correspondence between CIS and a professor at Harvard University, who in the 60s was one of the leaders of a study on coronary heart disease (CHD), fell into the hands of scientists.

The organization started researching heart diseases in 1965 and in 1967 published a review of the literature on the effect of fats and cholesterol on the development of coronary heart disease. According to the researchers, scientific work deliberately downplayed the role of sugar consumption in the development of the disease. The CIS determined the objectives of the study, selected articles to be included in the review, and reviewed drafts. At the same time, information about the organization's role in the preparation and conduct of the study was not disclosed.

The authors of the study stressed that information about the sources of funding is extremely important. They noted that the oldest medical journal, The New England Journal of Medicine, has required authors to report conflicts of interest since 1984. Scientists admit that they have no clear evidence that CIS employees edited the draft of the article. The evidence confirming that industry representatives have drawn the conclusions they need is indirect. The key figures of those events have died, so it is impossible to get first-hand information. The scientific work is devoted to the activity of only one industry group and does not consider the role of other major players in the food industry market.

"According to the results of this study, in 1965, representatives of the sugar industry sponsored a study of coronary heart disease in order to hide early evidence that sucrose consumption is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. As of 2016, a sugar consumption control policy is being implemented at the international, federal, state and local levels. However, not all studies point to the fact that the risk of coronary heart disease is a consequence of the consumption of added sugar. Since CHD is the leading cause of death in the world, the community of health professionals should make sure that the risk of developing CHD is taken into account when assessing the health effects of added sugars. Health decision–making committees are recommended to attach less importance to research funded by the food industry and include animal trials, studies of mechanisms of action, as well as work on assessing the effect of added sugars on the biomarkers of coronary heart disease and the development of the disease," the authors conclude.

Ischemic heart disease (also called "coronary heart disease") is a pathological condition characterized by an absolute or relative violation of the blood supply to the myocardium due to damage to the coronary arteries of the heart. According to the World Health Organization, it is the leading cause of death in the world

Read more about the study in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine: Kearns et al., Sugar Industry and Coronary Heart Disease Research.

The results of the work are briefly retold in the press release JAMA Historical Analysis Examines Sugar Industry Role in Heart Disease Research - VM.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  14.09.2016