A new study suggested that people drinking soda regularly may raise the risk of stroke by 61 percent.

Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine studied soda habits of 2,564 people for more than 9 years to see if there was an association with stroke.

The subjects, who were 69 years of old on average, completed food questionnaires about the type of soda they drank and how often.

Results showed that those who drank diet soda daily compared to those who drank no soda were 61 percent more likely to have a vascular event.

Hannah Gardener, an epidemiologist and one of the researchers, said: "If our study is replicated… it would suggest diet soda is not optimal."

Gardener was slated to present her research Wednesday at the International Stroke Conference 2011 in Los Angeles.

Earlier studies have shown that those who drank more than one soft drink a day, whether regular or diet, were more likely than non-drinkers to have metabolic syndrome.