DITCH ENERGY DRINK SEE WHY

image source

  While it is commonly touted as the most

effective beverage for instant energy boost,
energy drinks may not be as good as they
claim to be. According to a study done by
University of Sydney, drinking even a small
amount of caffeinated energy drinks may
trigger serious cardiac events in some people
with a genetic heart condition. It can cause
rapid, irregular heartbeats. TV and social
media advertisements commonly show popular
sports celebrities gulping them down for
instant power boost, but not everything you
see should be believed without looking at the
research data. The researchers assessed the
risk of cardiac events following consumption
of energy drinks in patients diagnosed with
congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS), a
condition that affects one in 2,000 and that
can cause rapid, irregular heartbeat that can
lead to sudden death. The study showed that
even small amounts of energy drinks can
cause changes in the heart that can lead to
life-threatening arrhythmias or improper
beating of the heart.
"The potential cardiovascular risk of energy
drinks continues to emerge as an important
public health issue," explained lead
investigator Christopher Semsarian.
  "The
population most at risk is teenagers and young
adults, representing the population these
drinks are most heavily marketed towards.
Since energy drinks are widely available to all
ages and over the counter, it is important that
cardiovascular effects of these drinks are
investigated," said Semsarian.

image source

  About the Study
 The study was designed to assess the acute
cardiovascular responses to energy drink
consumption in patients with familial LQTS
and to discover whether any identified
cardiovascular effects correlate with changes
in blood levels of the active ingredients -
caffeine and taurine. Investigators recruited
24 patients aged 16 to 50. More than half
were symptomatic before diagnosis and
receiving beta-blocker therapy.
Participants were assigned to energy drink or
control drink groups for the first study visit.
  The energy drink consisted of two sugar-free
cans totaling 160mg of caffeine and 2000mg
of taurine, totaling 500ml. The control drink
was a cordial-based 500ml drink with no
caffeine or taurine.
  The results of the study showed that three
patients exhibited dangerous QT prolongation
following energy drink consumption and two of
the three had sharp increases in blood
pressure.
  "Some individual patients may be at a higher
risk. We therefore suggest caution in allowing
the consumption of energy drinks in young
patients with LQTS," noted Semsarian.
The study was published in the International
Journal of Cardiology.

Share to let others know about this