Abstract P096: Factors Related to Added Sugars Intake Among US Adults With or Without Cardiovascular Diseases

Added sugars intake increases risk of obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and may impact disease management. We examined factors related to added sugars intake among US adults with or without CVD and risk factors using 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (n=30616). NHIS used the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ) to assess individual’s dietary intake. The DSQ used 8 questions to assess added sugar intake over the last 30 days. We used the NCI’s scoring algorithm to convert screener responses to estimate total added sugars intake (tsp/day) by characteristics within 3 strata—adults with a history of heart disease/stroke (CVD, n=4658), adults with hypertension/high cholesterol but without CVD (HTHC, n=10476), and adults without CVD or HTHC (no CVD, n=15482). Because our goal was not to look at association between added sugar and CVD risk, comparisons among the groups were not made. Characteristics included age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, marital status, smoking, and weight status. We used multiple linear regression to assess independent associations between intake and characteristics. Added sugars intake was similar in magnitude across all 3 strata (CVD 16.9, HTHC 17.0, and no CVD 17.3 tsp, respectively). We found increased added sugars intake with younger age, lower education, lower income, and smoking among adults regardless of CVD status. Having obesity was positively related to increased intake for adults without CVD, but no association was found between the weight status and intake in adults with CVD or HTHC. Improving diet may prevent CVD and aid disease self-management. Product reformulation to reduce added sugars and strategies to counsel and support individuals to reduce dietary added sugars may be needed to optimize heart health.