ENERGY drinks may trigger a life-threatening condition that requires emergency treatment in people with genetic heart diseases, doctors warn. Caffeinated fizz can potentially disrupt the heart's electrical system, increasing the risk of abnormal heart rhythms ( arrhythmia ). 2 Scientists have warned that energy drink consumption could trigger abnormal heart rhythms in some people Credit: Getty This can lead to severe health consequences, such as sudden cardiac arrest - where the heart stops beating.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in the US looked at the medical data of 144 patients who had survived a cardiac arrest following emergency treatment. Seven of them, aged between 20 and 42, had consumed an energy drink some time before the life-threatening event, with six requiring electrical shock treatment and one needing manual resuscitation. Three of the patients were regular energy drink consumers and four were revealed to have a type of genetic heart condition.
Researchers said that other factors surrounding the event, such as sleep deprivation, dehydration , dieting, extreme fasting, vaping and antibiotic medication, may have created a "perfect storm", leading to sudden cardiac arrest in these patients. While the study, published in the Elsevier journal Heart Rhythm, did not prove a direct cause, the researchers still recommend consuming energy drinks in moderation. Peter J Schwartz, of the Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin and Laboratory of Cardiovascular Gene.
