Study Finds Link Between Cola And Kidney Disease(KDKA)
Jul 6, 2007 9:34 pm US/Eastern
A recently published study is warning Americans that drinking lots of cola might lead to future kidney damage.
The study, published in the medical journal Epidemiology, studied the cola drinking habits of nearly 500 people recently diagnosed with kidney disease against the cola drinking habits of similar people who had not been diagnosed with kidney disease.
The study found that those who drank more than two servings of cola a day more than doubled the risk of chronic kidney disease.
Because similar results were not found with other carbonated beverages, researchers believe that the cause of disease must be an ingredient specific to cola - in this case, phosphoric acid, which is used to give dark colas a tangy taste.
Kidney damage and kidney stones have been linked to high levels of phosphates.
According to Dr. Michael Moritz, a kidney specialist at Children's Hospital, kidney disease has become more and more common.
"The incidence of kidney disease is skyrocketing in the United States, and is a tremendous burden on the health care system," said Moritz.
Moritz also says that kidney disease can be tough to detect, as symptoms may be tough to recognize as kidney problems.
"Chronic kidney disease is actually a silent killer," said Moritz. "The way it might manifest itself is with high blood pressure or protein in the urine, but other than that, the symptoms could be very subtle."
More rigorous research is needed before any sweeping recommendations are put into place.
http://kdka.com/health/local_story_187213208.html
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