The sugar-free paradox: cardiometabolic consequences of erythritol

In a recent study published in Nature Medicine, Witkowski and colleagues applied untargeted metabolomics studies in 1157 people at high risk for cardiovascular disease, comprising 22% with diabetes mellitus, followed by quantitative targeted analyses to identify circulating metabolites associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. 1 Their analyses revealed an association between plasma erythritol and major cardiovascular events—defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke during a follow-up period of 3 years. 1