Sugary caffeinated beverages are often the go-to solution for people wanting to combat the mid-morning slump, however, new research suggests these drinks could be linked to serious conditions which require emergency treatment. Energy drinks tend to contain high levels of sugar and caffeine, which has led to calls for moderation. A recent study conducted at the Mayo Clinic in the US, which was published in the Elsevier journal Heart Rhythm, has sparked concern about serious implications the fizzy drinks may have on our bodies.
Researchers examined data from 144 patients who had survived a cardiac arrest following emergency treatment and found that seven of them, aged between 20 and 42, had consumed an energy drink sometime before the life-threatening event, with six requiring electrical shock treatment and one needing manual resuscitation. Peter Schwartz, of the Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin and Laboratory of Cardiovascular Genetics, in Milan, Italy, wrote in an accompanying editorial: “Critics might say of these findings, ‘it’s just an association by chance’. We, as well as the Mayo Clinic group, are perfectly aware that there is no clear and definitive evidence that energy drinks indeed cause life-threatening arrhythmias and that more data are necessary, but we would be remiss if we were not sounding the alarm.
” The two main stimulants in fizzy energy drinks are caffeine and sugar, so what exactly is that doing to our bodies? “Caffeine increase.