The study included 144 people who had survived sudden cardiac arrest, with 5% of them drinking energy drinks before their event. While there is no evidence of a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the research, accompanied by expert commentary, warns of potential risks associated with high caffeine and unregulated ingredients in energy drinks.
The risks associated with energy drinks in patients with genetic heart disease were examined. The lead researcher Michael J. Ackerman, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and director of the Mayo Clinic Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory, said the energy drink market in the U.S. was growing steadily over the past several years.
“This raises concerns about the potential combined effects of caffeine consumption and additional unregulated ingredients in these drinks. Energy drinks are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so studying the effects of these drinks on our patients is of paramount importance,” he added.
Energy drinks contain caffeine in amounts ranging from 80 to 300 mg per serving, compared to 100 mg in a cup of brewed coffee. However, most energy drinks contain other stimulant ingredients in addition to caffeine that are not regulated by the FDA, such as taurine and guarana.
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