Are energy drinks behind the leap in heart problems in the young?

Are energy drinks behind the sudden leap in heart problems in the young?

Some brands have very high levels of caffeine and can exceed levels that are equivalent to drinking up to five cups of coffee a day, which is considered the high end of tolerable amounts.

There are drinks on the market that contain up to three times as much caffeine per fluid ounce as brewed coffee, while some pre-workout supplements contain more than 12 times the concentration found in coffee.

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered that young people who consume energy drinks are 11 times more likely to suffer cardiac arrest, and they run a 450 percent higher risk of heart attack.

Although caffeine raises the risk of heart problems in any age group, the researchers discovered the problem was disproportionately greater among young people aged between 18 and 34.

They analysed a federal database that reported on suspected adverse reactions to foods and dietary supplements, including energy drinks that contained caffeine and other stimulants.

Around 45 percent of all the reported heart problems were among the under 34-year-old age group.  Rates of heart attacks were 4.5 times greater in those who regularly drank energy drinks, and cardiac arrests were 11 times higher.  Irregular heart rhythms were also four times more common in the group.

The researchers stress that the report doesn’t prove that energy drinks directly cause heart problems, but they do caution people to think twice before drinking too many of them.

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