Getting daily energy drinks could be a dangerous habit for young people, suggests new research linking energy drinks and other similar stimulants to heart problems in young adults. An analysis of more than 28,000 reports in the FDA’s adverse events database found that cardiac arrest was recorded about 11 times more often with beverages and supplements high in caffeine and stimulants than with other products, and reports were several times more likely to mention heart attacks or abnormal rhythms, NBC News reports. Nearly half concerned people aged 18 to 34.
The study, presented at an American Heart Association meeting and not yet peer-reviewed, does not prove cause and effect, and the FDA reports are unverified. Still, cardiologists call this pattern a “warning sign” and urge users to track their total caffeine intake and seek treatment if they experience chest pain, fainting, or a racing heartbeat.
- Dr. John Higgins, a sports cardiologist at UTHealth Houston, says energy drinks shouldn’t be in the same safety category as coffee. “It’s a different beast,” he said. “Energy drink manufacturers like to tell people that an energy drink with 120 milligrams of caffeine is the same as a coffee with 120 milligrams. But the accumulating evidence supports that they have very different cardiovascular effects.”
“Our study highlights a problem that is often overlooked,” lead study author Dr. Pamela Benavidez, a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, told NBC. “We would like readers to use this study as a warning. People should pay close attention to the amount of caffeine and number of stimulating ingredients they take.” Previous research found that about one in five young people who suffered sudden cardiac arrest regularly consumed energy drinks, according to the report. Wall Street Journal reports. Higgins says school sports physicals fail to see about three-quarters of underlying heart conditions. “If millions of kids are drinking energy drinks, it’s just a numbers game,” he says.
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