| Title: | Sugar rationing during the first 1000 days of life and lifelong risk of heart failure |
| Journal: | Nature Communications |
| Published: | 21 Jan 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41565671/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68713-9 |
| URL: | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-68713-9_reference.pdf |
Publication 18595
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Abstract
Elevated sugar intake has been linked to poor cardiovascular health, but the effects of early-life sugar restriction on the lifelong risk of heart failure remain unclear. Using the end of sugar rationing in the United Kingdom in 1953 as a natural experiment, we classify participants in the UK Biobank by birth timing to define early-life exposure to sugar rationing. Here we show that individuals exposed to early-life sugar rationing exhibit an approximately 14% lower risk of heart failure and develop the condition about 2.6 years later than those unexposed. Longer exposure is associated with stronger effects, and population-level estimates suggest that around 4-5% of heart failure cases may be attributable to the absence of early-life sugar restriction. Genetic susceptibility does not modify these associations but acts additively. These findings underscore the long-term importance of early-life sugar exposure for heart failure, and further studies are warranted.</p>
18 Authors
- Haoxian Tang
- Xuan Zhang
- Jingtao Huang
- Xiaojing Chen
- Jianan Hong
- Hanyuan Lin
- Cuihong Tian
- Luo Nan
- Mengyue Lin
- Qinglong Yang
- Shiwan Wu
- Pan Chen
- Jiasheng Wen
- Liwen Jiang
- Youti Zhang
- Yali Wang
- Xuerui Tan
- Yequn Chen
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 205837 | Integrated omics to implore risk, diagnostic, and prognostic factors of cardiovascular disease |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health