Many truckers won't hit the road without their super-size cups full of Coca-Cola or Mountain Dew, but a new study suggests that habit may be linked to a significantly higher risk of heart attacks.


As the CBS Evening News reported last night, the study tracked more than 40,000 men over 22 years. Men in the study who drank just one 12-ounce sugar-sweetened drink a day had a 20% higher risk of heart attacks.

The typical 12-ounce soda contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar. Many people consume 20 ounces of soda in a standard sitting, which is about 15 to 18 teaspoons of sugar.

However, CBS emphasized that the study does not prove cause and effect. Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic, said it's likely that people who choose to drink sugary soft drinks are probably eating them with unhealthy foods such as fast-food burgers.

Also on the CBS News website is this story, about a new study that eating red meat every day appears to increase a person's chances of dying from a chronic disease by 12%.

"A daily serving of processed meat increased death risk by 20%, the study found, while a once-per-day serving of unprocessed red meat was tied to a 13% increase in overall mortality risk," this article says. "According to the study authors, nearly 9% of deaths in men and 8 percent of deaths in women from the study could have been prevented if participants ate less than half a serving of red meat per day."

Of course, it's not like we think burgers and sugary drinks are healthy. These studies just put more numbers on the board. If you're a driver, think about it next time you order a meal on the road. If you're in fleet management, pass this along to your drivers.

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