Can Consuming Energy Drinks Cause a Heart Attack?

Energy drink consumption may cause cardiovascular issues, such as high blood pressure and heart arrhythmias. In some cases, excessive consumption has been linked to heart attacks.
Energy drinks have become increasingly popular, especially among young adults. An estimated 30%Trusted Source of U.S. teenagers now consume energy drinks on a regular basis.

Although energy drinks are promoted as a way to boost physical or mental performance, excessive consumption of energy drinks has been associatedTrusted Source with cardiovascular side effects, including increased blood pressure, heart disease, and heart attack.
Here’s what you need to know about the connection between energy drinks and heart attacks.

Can energy drinks cause a heart attack?
In recent years, excessive energy drink consumption has been linkedTrusted Source to an increase in emergency visits and life threatening cardiovascular complications, including heart attacks.
Energy drinks contain moderate to high amounts of caffeine and sugar, along with various stimulating ingredients like guarana, taurine, carnitine, and ginseng.

Data suggests the maximum recommendedTrusted Source daily intake of caffeine is 100 milligrams (mg) per day for adolescents and 400 mg per day for adults. Yet some energy drinks contain more than 500 mg of caffeine, which can lead to caffeine toxicityTrusted Source. Herbal ingredients like guarana also contain high amounts of caffeineTrusted Source.

While consuming low to moderate amounts of caffeine is considered safe, consuming high levels of caffeine can cause serious health issuesTrusted Source.
Other ingredients like taurine and ginseng have stimulating effects that may lead to health problems in high doses, especially when combined with caffeine. Studies have shownTrusted Source that many energy drinks contain excessive amounts of these ingredients. For example, some energy drinks contain more than 10 timesTrusted Source the recommended daily intake of taurine.

A 2017 reviewTrusted Source found that the excessive consumption of energy drinks may lead to a variety of cardiovascular issues, including arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and myocardial infarction. The researchers noted that these cases typically involved excessive consumption of energy drinks in a short period of time, often combined with alcohol or other stimulants.
However, despite the link between excessive energy drink consumption and heart failure, there’s not enough evidenceTrusted Source to determine a cause-and-effect relationship.

More research is needed on the safety of energy drink consumption and the synergistic effect of their combined ingredients.
Can energy drinks damage your heart?
Research suggests excessive consumption of energy drinks may damage the heart in several different ways, leading to various cardiovascular issues.

Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia, or atypical heart rhythm. It can cause a fast, pounding heartbeat or shortness of breath and is the leading cardiac causeTrusted Source of stroke.

Blood pressure
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, includes complicationsTrusted Source like blood vessel damage, stroke, and heart attack.
A 2019 studyTrusted Source found that energy drinks increase blood pressure, which may cause health problems in people with hypertension.

Arrhythmias
Heart arrhythmias are caused byTrusted Source problems with the heart’s electrical system, which regulates the heartbeat. This can lead to a heart that beats too slow or too fast.

A 2021 review found that acute energy drink consumption can disrupt the heart’s electrical system in several ways, leading to increased resting heart rate. The authors noted that these changes may be concerning for people with certain risk factors, including those with:
• diabetes
• high body mass index (BMI)
• family history of cardiovascular disease