"We were struck by the fact that it didn't matter whether it was a diet or regular soda that participants consumed, the association with increased risk was present," senior author Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, of the Framingham Heart Study and Boston University School of Medicine, said in a statement.

"In those who drink one or more soft drinks daily, there was an association of an increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome."

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors including excess waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein "good" cholesterol and high-fasting glucose levels. Three or more of the risk factors increases a person's risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Individuals consuming one or more soft drinks a day had a 48 percent increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome compared to those consuming less than one soft drink daily, according to the study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.