Your favorite sugar-free treats may be damaging your heart health. Higher amounts of the low-calorie sweetener xylitol, often marketed as a healthy sugar substitute, is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke and heart attack, according to a new Cleveland Clinic study.
A team of researchers including Dr. Stanley Hazen, chair of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, identified an association between high levels of circulating xylitol and an elevated three-year risk of cardiovascular events in an analysis of more than 3,300 patients. The findings were published last week in the European Heart Journal.
