A study, which is the biggest one of its kind to date and has included more than 10,000 people followed for up to 14.6 years, concludes that people who drink, for example, one soft drink per day increase their risk of cardiovascular disease by one-third.
Previously, scientists have said that sugar as empty calories could make people overweight and obese, and by doing so increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Now the researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States have concluded that added sugar - which is found in for example sodas, desserts, sweets, fruity drinks - is directly linked to cardiovascular disease, independent of its effect on the body weight.