*Researchers are raising renewed concerns about the potential cardiovascular risks associated with xylitol after a large study found that higher blood levels of the sugar alcohol were associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
According to The Guardian, the 2026 research examined 17,710 people, comparing participants with the highest blood levels of xylitol with those with the lowest. Within six years, people in the highest group were 57% more likely to die or experience a heart attack or stroke. Even after 30 years, they remained 18% more likely to experience one of those cardiovascular events.
Researchers also found that cardiovascular risk tended to rise alongside xylitol levels. That pattern held across different ages and sexes and was not explained by factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, or cholesterol levels.
The latest findings build on earlier research from Cleveland Clinic researchers led by Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., which also identified an association between elevated xylitol levels and cardiovascular events. That research included patient analysis, preclinical models, and a clinical intervention study and was published in the European Heart Journal.
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Xylitol is commonly used as a sugar substitute in sugar-free candy and gum, as well as oral hygiene products such as mouthwash and toothpaste. The newer study’s author, Dr. Marco Witkowski of Charité University Hospital in Berlin, said previous research found that xylitol could affect the blood’s ability to clot.
“In previous studies, we showed that xylitol can enhance the ability of platelets to form clots,” he said.
Witkowski said the long-term findings point to unanswered questions about the cardiovascular safety of xylitol, particularly as its use in consumer products grows.
“Artificial sweeteners are consumed by people who think they are healthier than sugar and they are generally regarded as safe by regulatory agencies,” he said.
“Our long-term findings in the general population highlight how little we know about the cardiovascular safety of xylitol and indicate that further studies are warranted, especially as the amount of xylitol in products continues to increase.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Study Finds Sugar Substitute Xylitol Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
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