Anyone who prefers diet sodas over regular soda pop for fear of high sugar levels might want to consider this: According to new research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2011, people who drink diet sodas every day still have a much higher risk of vascular disease—61 percent higher—compared with those who drink no sodas at all.

These are the findings of the large, multi-ethnic Northern Manhattan Study of 2,564 individuals that were monitored and analyzed in terms of the types and amount of sodas they drank for an average of 9.3 years, during which 559 vascular events occurred. “If our results are confirmed with future studies, then it would suggest that diet soda may not be the optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages for protection against vascular outcomes,” says lead author Hannah Gardener, a doctor of science and epidemiologist at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

Source: American Heart Association, 2011