WASHINGTON • Sodas and other sugary drinks may cause up to 184,000 deaths a year worldwide, according to a study published in the journal Circulation.

Researchers estimated that around 133,000 people died from diabetes due to the consumption of what the report called "sugar-sweetened beverages". Around 45,000 people died globally from cardiovascular diseases arising from sugary drink consumption and 6,450 people died from cancers linked to the beverages.

"Many countries in the world have a significant number of deaths occurring from a single dietary factor - sugar-sweetened beverages. It should be a global priority to substantially reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from the diet," said study author Dariush Mozaffarian from Tufts University in Boston. Researchers also said the availability of sugar in a nation correlated with the country's frequency of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE