Don't Go Breaking Your Heart: Docs Say Ditch the Soda

Just over a can of a soft drink a day could be enough to increase your risk of heart failure by 23 percent. 

Soft drinks have been linked to other diseases, like obesity, diabetes, and more, but researchers say it's the first time a connection has been found between these drinks and heart failure.

"Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with increased risk of CHD (Coronary Heart Disease) and some adverse changes in lipids, inflammatory factors, and leptin," the study concluded after studying more than 42,000 Swedish men for two decades.

"Less than 50 percent of patients are living five years after their initial diagnosis and less than 25 percent are alive at 10 years," according to the Heart Failure Society of America.  "Heart failure does not develop overnight – it's a progressive disease that starts slowly and gets worse over time. It affects nearly 5 million Americans. Heart failure is the only major cardiovascular disorder on the rise."

"It's a very miserable life," Dr. Roberto Bolli, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, told CNN. "Patients with heart failure are severely limited in their ability to perform daily tasks. They get short of breath for even small efforts like walking one block, or sometimes even walking inside their house."
   
The study added that the findings are not definite because of the nature of the study and an overall diet is the most important element for health.
    
But the study is enough for doctors to recommend that people cut back - or cut out- these drinks.