CAFFEINATED ENERGY DRINKS FREQUENTLY LINKED TO SERIOUS HEART PROBLEMS

WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 3 /SRNA/ – Caffeinated energy drinks and stimulant dietary supplements are linked to serious heart problems, including cardiac arrest and heart attack, far more often than other food products, the American Heart Association said today.

After analyzing more than 28,000 reports submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration /FDA/ between 2017 and 2025, researchers found that people aged 18 to 34 frequently reported consuming these drinks before their heart problems began.

Experts say a moderate daily caffeine intake of up to 400 milligrams is generally safe for healthy adults, but some energy drinks contain up to three times as much caffeine per milliliter as regular coffee.

Pre-workout supplements can have caffeine concentrations as much as 12 times higher.

Sales of energy drinks have doubled over the past decade to more than $20 billion, The Times reported.

Regulators classify these products as food or dietary supplements, so they are not subject to the same safety checks as conventional medicines.

Study author Sai Samayamantula of the University of Virginia said the products sit on shelves right next to bottled water and juice, leading consumers to wrongly assume they are completely safe.

The researchers said more thorough studies and systematic monitoring are needed to fully understand the long-term effects of these products on heart health.