Investigators of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis examined the relationship between diet soda consumption and the risk of incident metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in a sample of 5,011 subjects. Approximately 14% of participants consumed more than 1 serving of diet soda daily whereas 59% never consumed diet soda. Compared to individuals who did not drink diet soda, those who consumed more than 1 serving per day had a 36% greater relative risk of incident metabolic syndrome and a 67% greater relative risk of incident type 2 diabetes. Moreover, compared to nonconsumers, individuals consuming more than 1 serving of diet soda daily had a significantly greater risk of developing an elevated waist circumference and high fasting glucose concentrations. The relationship between diet soda consumption and type 2 diabetes was independent of baseline adiposity measurements or changes in these variables, while the relationship between diet soda intake and metabolic syndrome was not independent of these factors. Finally, there were no associations between sugar-sweetened soda consumption and the risk of metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes.
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