While many Americans scrupulously avoid regular soda in the interest of their health, new research presented at the American Stroke Association's yearly conference demonstrates that even those who regularly drink diet soda can suffer negative health consequences.

Specifically, the researchers said, the risk of stroke was 48 percent higher for daily diet soda drinkers than for those who abstained, even after controlling for factors like metabolic syndrome, heart disease and peripheral vascular disease. As well, scientists excluded the influence of age, sex, race, tobacco use, fitness level and alcohol use from the results. The researchers used an in-depth survey of 2,654 people in Manhattan conducted between 1993 and 2001 as their data set.

In addition to ischemic stroke, the consumption of diet soda was linked to other dangerous cardiovascular issues, including heart attacks.

While the study is not in itself proof of a link between diet soda consumption and heart problems, excessive amounts of soda in any form is probably not the best prescription for overall well-being, according to healthcare experts.