Macroanalysis of sugar-sweetened beverages-related cardiovascular disease in Youth: Spatiotemporal trend, driving force and economic inequality

Background: The young represents a notable group consuming sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and early-onset cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are increasing. Objectives : Determining the worldwide CVD burden attributed to high SSB consumption among the young. Methods: Articles retrieved from the Web of Science (WOS) focusing on SSBs and CVD in the youth published 2004-2025 were analyzed for research network, temporal, and geospatial trend. Utilizing the data from the global burden of disease 2021, we calculated age-standardized rates (ASRs) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) for disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and death attributable to CVD linked to high SSB consumption in young. Results: Publications focusing on our topic have increased in the past 20 years. In 2021, the global ASRs of death attributed to CVD linked to high SSBs among young surged to 3.94 per 10,000,000 compared with 3.23 in 1990 (AAPC: 0.6%). In 2021, the ASR of death was over twice as high in men 5.83 compared to women 2.47. The middle sociodemographic index (SDI) countries (260.61) and India (131.9) exhibited the highest death number. A positive linear correlation was found between SDI and ASRs of deaths and DALYs (all R>0.44, P<0.001). DALYs due to CVD were disproportionately higher in countries with higher SDI (concentration index of inequality = 0.12). Population growth had the greatest impact on the DALY increase. Conclusions: Globally, high SSB consumption has significantly increased the number and rate of CVD-related DALYs and deaths among young over the past 30 years, particularly affecting males and middle SDI regions.