Eating too many sugary drinks, desserts and sweets could increase your risk of having a heart attack, the findings of a large US study suggest

Consuming the equivalent of a can a day of sugar-sweetened fizzy drinks was associated with an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, JAMA Internal Medicine reports.  Most adults and children in the US and the UK eat too much sugar and sugars are added to a wide range of foods, such as sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, and some fizzy drinks and juice drinks.

Sugar can lead to weight gain, which is bad for your heart.  Experts said people needed to be aware of this risk.In the study, which looked at data on sugar consumption among tens of thousands of people in the US as well as death rates from heart-related problems, there was a significant link between the amount of sugar consumed and heart risk.