According to the Daily Mail, the 31-year old Monaco woman drank only soda since just after puberty. The woman had no prior family history of heart conditions, but she also admitted that in addition to exclusively drinking soda she had not consumed water since the age of 15.Doctors discovered the woman had a long QT syndrome, which causes an erratic heartbeat. She also had severely reduced levels of potassium, which is a main contributor to regulating heartbeat. After her hospitalization, the woman quit soda. After just one week, her heart beat and potassium levels returned to normal.
The link between heart conditions and soda consumption was recently investigated when a New Zealand woman died of a heart attack at just 30 years old. The woman had reportedly drank up to 2.6 gallons of soda per day.
Medical researchers in Monaco said, "One of the take-home messages is that cardiologists need to be aware of the connection between cola consumption and potassium loss, and should ask patients found to have QT prolongation about beverage habits."
How much soda do you drink per day?
