Primordial prevention: Reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in racial/ethnic populations

Abstract

Beyond pharmacotherapy in adulthood, primordial prevention in United States (U.S.) children and adolescents is needed to avoid the upcoming tsunami of cardiometabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Healthcare disparities were unmasked by the disparate morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in racial/ethnic populations, especially in persons with obesity, diabetes, and CVD. One potential successful strategic improvement of childhood cardiovascular health is to reduce sugar consumption in early life as CVD is the number one cause of death in patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Furthermore, cardiologists treat more patients with T2D than endocrinologists. This commentary challenges cardiovascular specialists and other clinicians to address the increasing burden of cardiometabolic and CVD in adults, especially in racial/ethnic populations, by supporting primordial prevention in childhood.

Keywords

• Primordial prevention
• Sugar-sweetened beverages
• Childhood obesity
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disparities